Thanks for being here!
You may wonder why I’m running for Walla Walla County Auditor. My assessment is that the Auditor’s office needs the skills that I’ve spent my career building. I’m an economist, corporate facilitator and finance consultant. After completing graduate degrees in economics, and an MBA with specialization in finance, I worked in a consulting role, training managers and leaders of all types in the fundamentals of finance. I understand Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, the work of the Government Accounting Standards Board, and I’m familiar with Workday software.
I have been responsible for analyzing corporate financial statements to measure performance against key metrics of success, and I’ve used financial tools to build computer based simulations – combining strategic thinking with forecasting budgets and the use of technology as a productivity tool. On the leadership side, I’ve managed teams of direct reports with deep technical knowledge and customer service backgrounds. In each circumstance I was able to earn their trust and accomplish set goals. As a consultant I worked to grow teams and leaders at companies in over 20 industries, including Boeing and Microsoft.
My experience provides me with a broad and deep toolkit for the Auditor’s role. That’s why I’m running.
Following is a list of questions from the recent AAUW Candidate Forum, and my replies. I hope this answers your questions.
In recent years, Walla Walla County has experienced the departure of several long-tenured employees and managers who possessed valuable institutional knowledge, strong relationships with employees and years of experience serving the public. When experienced managers and employees leave, the county loses knowledge continuity and expertise. The cost is ultimately borne by taxpayers through turnover, recruitment expenses, training costs, reduced productivity and potential impacts to public services. How would you assess the role leadership plays in employee morale, retention and organizational effectiveness?
Leadership is THE decisive factor in employee morale, retention and organizational effectiveness. A leader’s goal is to inspire, empower and guide their colleagues. My leadership style is to be supportive of my team and peers, and to provide the resources they need to reduce friction in their ability to be successful. I build trust by making and keeping promises, communicating a vision that unifies the team, setting expectations, and providing constructive feedback.
Two of my longstanding priorities are to develop a career path for those who want it, and set a succession plan in place for the next leader. I lead by example. This means showing up every day with a leader’s mindset. Organizational effectiveness is the result of vision – everyone on the same page, combined with motivation to reach the goal, inspired by a leader who enables success.
A final thought on this: employees join an organization because they like the work, align with the mission and culture, and see personal opportunities for growth. Exit interviews with employees who leave overwhelmingly cite their boss as a major factor in their decision. The boss did not embrace the culture, provide motivation, or growth opportunities.
People, no matter where they work, have positive intent. They want acknowledgement for their effort and work. They want to learn and grow. I work with them to build trust and create their best work.
Many elected officials come into office with expertise in their profession, but may have little formal training in personnel management, leadership, organizational culture conflict resolution, or employee engagement. Would you support requiring newly elected county officials to complete leadership, management and workplace culture training as part of their transition into office?
I enthusiastically support newly elected officials completing leadership, management and workplace culture training as part of their transition into office. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) already requires mandatory training in core areas of the Public Records Act, such as records retention, and compliance. Officials must complete this training no later than 90 days after taking the oath of office or assuming their duties. Washington state offers several management, leadership, and workplace culture training programs for those newly elected to office. These programs are designed to help new officials navigate the administrative and interpersonal realities of public office.
Examples of available programs include:
Collaboration for elected leaders
Targeted training videos covering supervisory fundamentals.
A significant portion of my career was as a corporate facilitator, designing and teaching management and leadership skills. Those courses included workshops on understanding leadership styles, situational leadership, conflict management, giving and receiving feedback, change management, and coaching. I have also worked as a content developer for an online coaching platform.
I am a big believer in continuous learning. Skills can get rusty with lack of practice, new approaches come into favor, leadership styles evolve, and workplace culture is dynamic. I would avail myself of any and all training supported by the County, as an example for others to follow and learn from.