WHITE SALMON — Mayor Marla Keethler of White Salmon has been elected to the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) board of directors. The election was conducted by city leaders from across the state at the AWC Annual Conference in Vancouver, Wash., held from June 18-21. Keethler, who was first appointed to the AWC board in February, will represent cities and towns in Eastern Washington with populations below 5,000 people.
“Serving on the AWC Board is an opportunity to bring a voice from a unique location in the state and share the perspective of a small, rural city that is navigating many of the same challenges that our larger or more centrally located Washington cities are dealing with,” Keethler said. “What I value most about being part of AWC is the opportunity to learn from examples in other communities and connect with other local leaders.”
The AWC board of directors is the association’s governing body. The board is comprised of 25 directors, 23 of whom are mayors or city council members from Washington cities or towns, and two non-elected city officials who also serve as the president and past president of the Washington City/County Management Association.
“Mayor Keethler provides a strong voice advocating for the needs of White Salmon and all of our smaller cities and towns on the AWC board,” said AWC CEO Deanna Dawson. “I look forward to working with her as we bring together the diverse perspectives of all 281 cities and towns in Washington. By working together, we can create strong cities, and a great state.”
Keethler is in her second term as Mayor of White Salmon, having been first elected in 2019 and reelected in 2023. She previously served two years on the city council. Keethler serves on AWC’s Small City Advisory Committee and has earned AWC’s Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership. In addition, Keethler’s community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Washington Gorge Action Programs, West Klickitat Community Housing, and the Klickitat County Public Economic Development Authority.
Infrastructure funding is an area of particular interest to Keethler, who served on the Hood River–White Salmon Bridge Replacement Bistate Working Group from 2020 to 2023, and now serves as commissioner on the newly established Hood River–White Salmon Bridge Authority.
“This work has given me the opportunity to speak and connect regionally as well as nationally to elevate awareness for this local priority project,” said Keethler.
Keethler has worked successfully with White Salmon’s state legislative delegation to secure funding for the bridge and on city policy priorities related to affordable housing and childcare access.
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