Maggie Boles Now Heading Up Community Development in Leavenworth

The City of Leavenworth has appointed Maggie Boles as community development director.

This puts her in charge of construction and growth - no mean feat when you consider that Leavenworth, a foppish and affluent mini-Bavaria, is perpetually booming. (Face it, not many towns in the Pacific Northwest can boast of Leavenworth's cultural cache, though it's come at a cost to everyday, working-class Leavenworthies.)

Internal hires generally have the inside track, and Boles was an internal hire. Prior to assuming this role, she was a senior city planner in Leavenworth. Her promotion was announced last month by City Administrator Matthew Selby.

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Boles' predecessor, Lilith Vespier, left in August for a job in the state Department of Commerce.

The new public works chieftain is 29-year-old Andi Zontek-Backstrum, who oversees trash pickup, city parks and streets and sanitation. In sum, she is responsible for the "underlying infrastructure of the City of Leavenworth...the [public works] team keeps our behind-the-scenes services going so that our city stays healthy and beautiful all year long."

A colleague said this about her on LinkedIn: "She isn't afraid to suggest and implement things like new bike lanes in lieu of street parking (Ski Hill Drive!) as a way to improve how we get around town." Chutzpah!

Zontek-Backstrum replaces Tom Wachholder - her new counterpart in Wenatchee.

In other Leavenworth news, the city is looking to replace outgoing Councilwoman Rhona Baron. Click here to access the City Council Vacancy Application and Questionnaire form. Barring a deadline extension, applicants only have about more two weeks to get their ducks in row.