Snohomish County Deputy Executive Suddenly Resigns

Just received this after-hours news release from the Snohomish County Executive’s Office naming a new Deputy Executive…

I have accepted the resignation of Deputy Executive Mark Ericks effective Sept. 10, 2015. I thank Mark for his service to our County.

It’s with great pleasure that I announce that Executive Director Lenda Crawford will serve as Deputy Executive for Snohomish County.

Lenda joined Snohomish County in April 2014 and is responsible for overseeing most of the County’s day-to-day operations, including finance/budget, public works, utilities, human resources, information services, Office of Public Defense, and Paine Field Airport.

Lenda has more than 30 years of experience advising executives and elected officials at the strategic and policy level in government, nonprofit and private-sector organizations. Before joining the Snohomish County Executive Office, she served as the Deputy Director of Seattle’s Transportation Department. In that position, she was responsible for transportation operations, finance, human resources, information technology, and risk management.

Prior to her time in Seattle, Lenda was the chief administrative officer and interim president/CEO of Thrive by Five Washington, a public-private partnership with the Gates Foundation, the state and several nonprofits. For nearly 20 years, she was the Finance Director for the city of Redmond. And while at the city of Bellevue, she worked on numerous high-profile projects including the Meydenbauer Convention Center and Downtown Park.

In addition, Lenda has served on numerous boards and committees including Future of Flight Foundation, Family Services, Hopelink, Washington Finance Officers’ Association, and the Redmond Chamber of Commerce.

Lenda started her career in the private sector, working in an entrepreneurial environment, developing corporate business plans, managing financial operations and implementing information systems.

Lenda is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound with a B.A. in Business Administration. She also holds an MBA in Finance. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

Lenda provides strong leadership in ensuring that the County is on firm financial footing. Our financial team, together with our many highly capable employees across departments, has ensured that the County enjoys an AA+ rating with Standard and Poor’s (S&P) and Aa3 rating with Moody’s. Strong bond ratings allow for taxpayer savings.

Our County has shown tremendous resiliency rebounding strongly from the economic recession. Our jobless rate has decreased to just 3.7% and we continue to benefit from a diverse market, skilled workforce, and partnerships in aerospace, manufacturing, technology, and education.

Together with Lenda, we will work on our 2016 proposed budget, which will include restoring reserves depleted by the County Council and addressing wage growth for our many dedicated and talented employees.

With Lenda assuming her new responsibilities as Deputy Executive, I look forward to meeting with department heads and other elected officials to gather input on how the Executive Office can best collaborate with each of them to better serve our residents.