Penny Bartley, a longtime employee of the Renton Police Department, has been selected to serve as the director of the South Correctional Entity (SCORE)regional jail.

The seven member cities of Renton, Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, SeaTac and Tukwila hired an executive search firm to conduct a nationwide search and selected Bartley from 40 candidates from across the country and Canada.

The top four candidates were interviewed March 11 and the SCORE Administrative Board unanimously voted to offer the position to Bartley.

“Penny provided outstanding leadership and innovation in jail management during her tenure here in Renton, and we look forward to that same passion and dedication as she directs SCORE,” said Renton Mayor Denis Law.

Bartley worked for the Renton Police Department for 21 years, working as staff services manager, public information officer and auxiliary services manager of the jail.

Bartley is one of 347 certified jail managers in the nation, is a member of the King County Regional AFIS Advisory Committee, and an instructor for the National Institute of Corrections.

In 2006 Bartley developed the concept of SCORE and eventually became the interim director in February 2009.

“This project is the first thing I think of every morning when I wake, and it is the last thing I think about before I fall asleep,” said Bartley. “I am thrilled to be with this project. We are doing some really great things for this community.”

The seven cities formed SCORE to build and operate an 822-bed misdemeanant jail in Des Moines to house their inmates. SCORE hopes to have the new jail ready to open in mid-2011 and use it to house misdemeanor offenders.

The cities need the jail space because King County will no longer provide misdemeanant jail beds. In 2006, a study showed that the South King County cities would need access to 700 additional jail beds by 2026.