Hood River gets new county administrator

“So far so good,” Williams said recently. “I just dove in. I’m a big researcher and I jumped right into learning about the county and meeting staff.”

Born and raised in Walla Walla, she has spent the bulk of her life and professional career in Washington. Williams attended Gonzaga University in Spokane before landing a position in Wenatchee as the main street director for their downtown association.

Williams later served as the community planner for the City of Wenatchee, then spent 15 years as their executive services director, working as both chief of staff for their management team and right hand to the mayor. More recently, Williams worked as city manager for Moses Lake, Wash., for about four years.

Her variety of roles in city government have given Williams her background in community and value-based planning, regional sustainability, and long-term economic and agricultural development. “I really enjoy that part of the job, working with the community to understand their values and priorities,” she said. “We government leaders can provide projects to support those community desires.”

When Williams began her new position at the end of 2023, the county was in the midst of strategic planning, so she has put this on the forefront. She is also focusing on modernization of the county after experiencing the weather emergency in January. “There are some facility needs for standard emergency operations, like the administration building and courthouse,” she said.

“[We also need] modernization in terms of making sure we’re properly staffed in the IT department. Tech is the backbone that is so central to everything we do. That’s an area I want to address very quickly,” Williams said.

From a public standpoint, Williams considers herself approachable and enjoys hearing from the community. “I think the work that we do in local government is so important, and I just think I look forward to having my family integrate to the Hood River community. We’ve felt so welcome so far and that says a lot about the people here.”

She moved here with her husband of 35 years, who is from Cottage Grove, and their adult kids live near Bend and Boise. She said Hood River is a good match for them, as her husband spent 30 years in the wine industry and Williams herself comes from a family full of artists, cooks, and gardeners. She is also looking forward to hiking and fishing.

“It feels like a great fit with the outdoor amenities and farm-to-table food culture. [Hood River has] the things we value very much, like farmers markets and orchards up in the valley,” she said. The couple arrived in November and look forward to exploring the Fruit Loop come springtime.

Williams said that she has been pleased with the thoughtful leadership in Hood River, from the start of her interview process until now. “Hood River is a really special place with leaders who really care about the community and the decision-making process,” she said.

Past experiences in team-building, leadership, and long-term planning mean Williams brings skills to the county that will be valuable as she learns more about county government, as most of her resume speaks to more city management. “Wenatchee is the largest city in Chelan County, so there was a lot of extra work we did on behalf of the county. This will set me up well for the learning curve ahead,” she said.

Wenatchee has a population of roughly 35,000 while Moses Lake, in Grant County, has about 25,000 people. As of 2020, Hood River County sits around a population of 24,000 — a community volume that feels comfortable and manageable to Williams.

Other aspects of Williams’ past work are similar to that of the Hood River region: Apple orchards and agriculture, wildfire rehabilitation and defense work, houseless programs and resource distribution, and the Columbia River running between cities. “That experience prepared me well for this Hood River County opportunity,” she said.

Though there is much to be done, Williams is eager to make a difference in the community and guide the county to success. “I have a philosophy of we can do more together, collectively, than on our own. That will lend itself to the work ahead,” said Williams.