Permanent Role For Chelan Co. Community Development Director

Deanna Walter will soon serve as the director of Chelan County Community Development in a permanent role.

Walter has been working as the interim of the county's planning and building department and serving as the county assessor, an elected position.

Starting Monday, April 3rd, Walter will oversee the day to day operations of community development on a full-time basis, leaving the assessor's job behind.

"I really want to give a big shout out to the staff in the assessor's office," Walter said. "The assessor, that individual doesn't hold this department together. It's the amazing staff that we have."

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) signed a contract for employment with Walter on Monday. They say she has brought stability and efficiencies to community development.

"She has filled six positions while prioritizing cross-training and better customer service at all levels," Commissioner and BOCC chairwoman Tiffany Gering said. "The board has called upon her twice now to step in and lead that department at times when it needed her leadership style the most, all while also serving as an elected official."

Born and raised in Wenatchee, Walter brings 27 years of land use experience. She started in Kootenai County, Idaho as a planner and eventually moved to Spokane County.

"After five years in Spokane County, I was hired to come back to Wenatchee, where I grew up, as the Assistant Director for Community Development. At that point, it was actually called Building Planning and Fire Safety," Walter said.

Walter went into the private sector to pick up some experience and worked for an engineering firm. She later served as the chief appraiser for the assessor's office where she was eventually appointed chief deputy followed by her election to the county assessor's office. While working the assessor and the interim job, she took on many other roles.

"For the last year, I was the vice chair of the Republican Central Committee. I was Treasurer for Women's Republican and I was President of the Statewide Assessors Association," Walter said. "Now I'm going to be down to one full time job. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my evenings. I'm so used to working."

The BOCC will appoint someone as a temporary interim county assessor by April 1. The Republican Central Committee will then provide the names of three candidates to the BOCC, which will appoint an interim assessor from the recommendation to serve until the 2023 election is certified.

People interested in running for the position can file for election May 15-19. The new assessor then will serve the remaining three years of the vacated term.

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