Courthouse Journal Blog Post
WACO Announces Educational Speakers for 62nd Annual Conference
Whether it be lessons learned from Covid-19, or a deep dive in the ethics for an elected county official, the WACO conference offers a diverse choice of education opportunities . The WACO Education Committee worked hard to identify topics that would greatly benefit members and add to their expertise. Each member will be able to select two topics to attend during the conference.
WACO is proud to announce the following panel speakers for the 62nd Annual Conference:
Interacting with Your County Commissioners and Advocating for your Office & Staff:
Kate Dean, Jefferson County, District County Commissioner
Kate Dean was elected to the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners in 2017. Kate moved to rural Jefferson County 20 years ago as a young farmer and entrepreneur committed to growing the local food economy. After leaving the farm, Kate started a consulting firm with an eye to projects that leveraged public, private and non-profit resources to find innovative solutions to complex rural issues. She coordinated the Jefferson Landworks Collaborative (a farmland preservation and enterprise development initiative), managed WSU Extension’s Small Farm Program, worked for WA Dept. of Labor & Industries, and was the Regional Director for the North Olympic Development Council, a council of governments tasked with community and economic development.
Kate holds her Masters in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. Her publications include USDA Farmland Changing Hands and Preparing for Climate Change on the North Olympic Peninsula and Small Towns.
Mary Hall, Thurston County Auditor
First elected Thurston County Auditor in 2013, Mary Hall is an award-winning administrator. Known for partnerships and innovations, Mary has over three decades of professional leadership experience in the corporate and government sectors. Her elections career began in 1996 and she received her National Certification in Elections Administration in 2004 through Auburn University and the Elections Center. Mary serves on the Washington State Association of County Auditor’s legislative committee, is a member of the Voter Intent, Technology Modernization Finance, and Address Confidentiality Program committees for the Washington Secretary of State, and a member of the League of Women Voters. Mary also serves as chair of the Olympia Kiwanis Harbor Days Festival.
Joe Nole, Jefferson County Sheriff
Joe Nole was elected Jefferson County Sheriff in 2018 and currently holds that position. He began his law enforcement career in 1990 with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office where he has held the positions of Patrol Deputy, Detective, Chief Criminal Deputy, and Undersheriff. Joe has also worked as a Backcountry Ranger with the U.S. Forest Service and a public school teacher. He claims that working as a school teacher led him into law enforcement.
John Hutchings, Thurston County District One Commissioner
Commissioner Hutchings has dedicated much of his life to civil service. His successful 35 year career in law enforcement included 27 years with the Olympia Police Department, three years as Chief of Police in Tenino, with his career beginning as a police officer in 1980 in the City of Orange, California. Hutch earned his Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership/Development (2004) from Chapman University, Orange, California. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and spent three months conducting a multi-national research project, in England, Scotland and Wales. The focus of his study was on the effectiveness of critical incident debriefings on police officers.
Stacie Prada, Jefferson County Treasurer
Stacie Prada is serving her second term as an elected Treasurer, has worked for Jefferson County 20 years this October, and currently serves on the Executive Board for Washington Association of County Officials. Her 35 years of work experience has encompassed varied work sectors including food service, retail, hotel management, real estate, woodworking, permitting, planning and treasury in a range of organizational structures as employee, self-employed business owner, mid-level manager, department director and elected official. All of these experiences and her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder have shaped her perspective on working with other elected officials and advocating for her office’s needs.
Elected County Official Ethics Panel:
Kate Reynolds, Executive Director, State Ethics Board
Kate Reynolds is currently the Executive Director for the Washington State Executive Ethics Board. Prior to joining the Executive Ethics Board, Kate served as the Special Assistant to the Commissioner at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner where she worked on rulemaking about network requirements for insurance companies. Kate also spent time in the Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General where she represented state agencies in enforcement proceedings. While Kate’s career has largely been in the public sector, she did stray from public service to do bankruptcy work for a local trustee’s office and enjoyed the experience immensely.
Peter Lavallee, Executive Director, PDC
Peter has been the Executive Director of the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) since June 2017. Prior to joining the PDC, Peter served as Communications Director and co-chair of the Operations Committee for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. Previously, Peter worked as a Wall Street investment banker, including as a Vice President in the Mergers & Acquisition group at Merrill Lyncn. As an attorney, Lavallee served as general counsel of a NASDAQ-listed technology company and worked in private practice. He received his MBA from the Yale School of Management, his JD from Tulane Law School and his BA from Columbia University.
Greg Zempel, Kittitas County Prosecuting Attorney
For more than twenty years, Greg Zempel has served as the Kittitas County Prosecutor. He serves as the head of the county’s civil division, advising the county on complex legal issues. Zempel is the past President of the Washington Association of County Officials. Greg Zempel graduated from the University of Washington and received his law degree from the University of Puget Sound School of Law.
Lessons Learned Thus Far: COVID-19
Keith Grellner, State Board of Health Chair and Kitsap County Administrator
Keith Grellner, RS, is the Administrator for the Kitsap Public Health District. He previously served Kitsap Health in the capacities of Environmental Health Director (2009 - 2016), Assistant EH Director (1999 - 2008), and as program manager for Onsite Sewage, Drinking Water, and Water Quality. Keith has been with Kitsap Health since 1989, and has a BS in Environmental Health from Illinois State University. He and his lovely wife Lynn live in Seabeck, WA, and have two children: Sofi (23, WWU grad) and Keegan (20, WSU).
Bob Lutz, MD, MPH, Spokane and Asotin County Public Health Officer
Dr. Bob Lutz graduated from Villanova University with a BS in Biology and Temple Medical School, where he received his medical degree in 1988. He spent 4 years in the US Navy before completing a residency in Family Medicine and a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, FL. He subsequently completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, where he also received his Master’s Degree in Public Health. He moved to Spokane, WA in 2004 and worked as an urgent care physician through 2009.
Cheryl Sullivan-Colglazier
Cheryl Sullivan-Colglazier is the Workplace Culture and Learning Administrator for the Washington State Office of Financial Management. She recently moved into this role after being the Chief Learning Officer for the state. Seated in State Human Resources, her focus is to work with leaders across all agencies to embed a culture where diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect are the norm to better serve Washington. Some of her work shifted however as we worked to navigate the impacts of COVID-19. She has been lead on developing the Safe Start Guide for state agencies. Cheryl’s formal education includes a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington and a BA from Western Washington University.