Wasco County Commissioner Kathy Schwartz, center, responds after being presented with a plaque by fellow commissioner Steve Kramer, left, and Scott Hege during Schwartz’s last appearance as a commissioner. The plaque honored her “leadership and dedication to improving the lives” of county citizens.
Wasco County Commissioner Kathy Schwartz, center, responds after being presented with a plaque by fellow commissioner Steve Kramer, left, and Scott Hege during Schwartz’s last appearance as a commissioner. The plaque honored her “leadership and dedication to improving the lives” of county citizens.
Mark B. Gibson photo/ZoomTHE DALLES — The Wasco County Board of Commissioners recognized the service of outgoing commissioner Kathy Schwartz during the Dec. 7 meeting of the board, presenting her with a plaque commending her “leadership and dedication to improving the lives of our citizens as a Wasco County commissioner.”
Schwartz did not run for reelection in May, and will be replaced in the new year by commissioner-elect Phil Brady, who defeated Rod Runyon in the May 2022 election.
Schwartz expressed satisfaction regarding her service as commissioner over the past four years. “Because of COVID, its been difficult to build relationships because everything was shut down. But we’ve made the best of it,” she told her fellow commissioners.
“I’m really proud of how we responded to COVID as a team,” Schwartz said. “I will be forever pleased with this team, for the way they worked with the (county) health officer” in responding to the pandemic, said Schwartz, a retired county health officer herself.
Schwartz said that although she worked for the county over many years, and appeared before the commission many times, she was surprised by the expertise needed to serve as a commissioner. “I worked for the county for years, but I had no idea how much you needed to know, about a thousand topics. The learning curve is pretty huge.”
Schwartz said she was pleased with the work she was able to do while representing the commission on a variety of committee boards as well.
She said she came in as a commissioner in part to increase the transparency within county government, and said she felt she was successful. “We now have a public information officer, and with the adoption of Zoom during the COVID pandemic we have increased transparency,” she said.”It’s rewarding to have such good personal relationships in the county,” she added.
Schwartz also said she was proud to be the second woman to serve as a commissioner since the county was established in 1854.
“The glass ceiling in Wasco County is really high,” she said with a smile.
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