UPDATE Jan. 20, 2021: The Governor has signed legislation extending the suspension of in-person meetings. No in-person meeting space will be provided for this meeting.
Meeting will focus on recruiting new agency director
OLYMPIA – Jan. 14, 2021 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a special virtual meeting next week to discuss and select candidates to interview for the state park director position.
The special meeting begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21. During the meeting, the commission will discuss top candidates and their credentials, then select which candidates to interview. An agenda is available on the State Parks website.
In November 2020, current State Parks Director Don Hoch announced he will retire March 2, 2021, after more than 10 years as the agency’s director. He has been with State Parks since 2004, starting as manager for the agency’s Puget Sound region. Director Hoch will be moving to Georgia to spend more time with his family.
The Parks and Recreation Commission is charged with the responsibility of determining qualifications of and selecting a State Parks director.
In compliance with the Public Open Meetings Act (OPMA), a meeting space at State Parks headquarters will be available for the public to watch the meeting if the governor doesn’t extend the current suspension of that requirement. Commissioners and staff will participate remotely and will not be onsite/in-person.
If the suspension of the in-person requirement is extended, no meeting room will be available. People can check for updates about the meeting space on the online version of this news release.
The public can participate in the meeting by using one of the following phone numbers or online through WebEx:
Telephone
Seattle toll: 206-207-1700
U.S. toll: 415-655-0001
Meeting access code: 177 711 7925
WebEx
Event link
Event Password: WAP@rks2021
In person (only if OPMA is NOT extended)
Washington State Parks headquarters
1111 Israel Rd. SW.
Tumwater, WA 98501
(Driving directions)
No public comment will be taken during the meeting.
News media contacts:
Anna Gill, Communications Director, (360) 902-8562
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About Washington State Parks
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission manages more than 100 state parks and properties totaling approximately 120,000 acres. The Commission provides a variety of recreation opportunities for citizens and provides stewardship protection for a diverse array of natural, cultural and historic resources. State Parks’ statewide programs include long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation.
News release number: 21-002