Zindel, a lifelong resident of Lebanon, started her career with the county in September 1986 as a secretary in the county commissioners’ office. Zindel also served as the county’s employee benefits coordinator, the fiscal/purchasing officer, director of the office of management and budget and deputy county administrator. She was appointed as county administrator in 2016 when former administrator David Gully retired.
Zindel said she is proud of her work with the county, particularly with the number of construction projects that have been completed during her tenure.
“I have been involved in many construction projects at the county that have been paid fully with cash, thus saving the taxpayers of Warren County substantial money in interest via traditional financing,” she said. “I have enjoyed the relationships I have built with our commissioners employees, agencies and elected officials. The most recent project that I’m extremely proud of is the role played in the financing structure for the construction of the county sheriff’s office and jail.”
The new $56.5 million county sheriff’s office and jail opened in October 2021 and was under budget and on-time, according to county officials.
When she retires, Zindel said she will miss the people who she’s worked with over the years.
“I have worked for wonderful county commissioners through the years,” she said. “I’m grateful they always have had confidence in my ability to manage the finances of the county via the budget process and their willingness to listen to my advice not only on financial matters but operational issues as well.”
She said she’ll miss the other elected officials that she worked with and the past and present employees for the past 37 years.
Zindel and her husband Mark have three sons, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter. Zindel said she’ll be busy in retirement with a few projects around her house as well as spending time with her granddaughter.
“God willing, more grandchildren are in the future and retirement will allow me the flexibility to spend time with them as well,” she said.
Prior to working for the county, Zindel worked at The Western Star newspaper in the accounting department and attended Ohio University.
Before Tina Osborne came to the county administration building, she worked as a secretary/executive assistant at Barrington Homes/Bramblewood Development Company in Cincinnati. Osborne was hired at age 23 as the clerk to the Board of County Commissioners in March 1991 and has been there since.
Osborne, who lives in Salem Twp., said since she started in 1991, there have been a lot of technology changes implemented.
“I was using my personal AOL email account because we didn’t have email, and the county had just moved to personal computers not long before I started,” she said. “Since then, we have automated our processes, ... digitized all our official records and have virtually eliminated the use of paper within the office except where not legally permitted.”
Like Zindel, Osborne said she will miss her co-workers, who she called her second family.
“The relationships that have been built with the commissioners, staff and others throughout the years are an important part of my life,” Osborne said. “I was so young when I started with the county and I can honestly say that former commissioners Mike Kilburn, Larry Crisenbery and Pat South helped raise me. The tables have turned in that I now play the “mom” role in the office.”
In retirement, Osborne plans to do a lot of traveling with her husband Jim Osborne III, their six children, and 13 grandchildren (with two more expected this fall).
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