During a going away party Wednesday, a cake neatly summed up the attitude around Lewis County Manager Erik Martin’s departure.
It read: “Fine. Go.”
Similarly, icing on cookies spelled: “Later, traitor.”
Known for his even-handed leadership through tumultuous times in the local government, Martin’s departure, while accepted, is no thrill for county staff and elected officials. The first person to ever take the role in Lewis County, Martin saw his final day Friday, March 24, after four-and-a-half years in the big job and a total of 14 for the county. He’s an engineer by training and first worked for the public works department.
Now, he heads to a job with Perteet Inc., an engineering consulting firm based in Everett, where he will head the business’ south sound region.
In 2017, the Board of County Commissioners — Bobby Jackson, Edna Fund and Gary Stamper at the time — created a “blue ribbon” advisory committee of citizens to evaluate the government. The move came as Lewis County faced “disgruntled 911 dispatchers, two harassment lawsuits filed by former employees in the commissioners’ office and (upset constituents after) cutting funding for the five senior centers,” as it was described by Chronicle columnist and local historian Julie McDonald Zander that summer.
As Martin described it, the manager role allowed the commissioners to focus on public policy and issues while someone else managed department directors and their staff. He called the current commissioners each their own brand of smart and engaged.
The county has appointed Chief of Internal Services Steve Wohld to take his place in the interim, an estimated four to six months, while they seek Martin’s replacement.
“We are sure there will be another county manager,” said Commissioner Lindsey Pollock, who represents the district encompassing Chehalis and the western end of Lewis County. “Part of the reason we’re having an interim in that place is just in case the first cut of applicants is not a good match, we won’t feel incredibly pressured to go with somebody who’s maybe not the best fit. I’ll just say, hopefully we can get this filled as soon as possible.”
Based on feedback from department directors, Martin said the most important thing he brought to the job was being “even, steady and fair.” While recognizing his predecessor will bring different strengths and weaknesses to the job, Martin said they’ll need patience, partnerships and people skills.
“That's really hard to do at times. It was hard for me and it’s hard for everybody, but that’s, I think, the biggest piece of advice I could give them. Just be patient,” Martin told The Chronicle during his going away party, later adding, “In this position, you're going to get a lot of different people and a lot of different opinions coming at you from different areas. Some of them are above you as elected officials. Some of them from staff. Some of them from the public.”
Of the difficult problems he’s helped the county navigate, Martin led the county through the death of Commissioner Gary Stamper to COVID-19 in 2021, along with other challenges of the pandemic including division and uncertainty.
Another focus he listed in his challenges was flood mitigation through the Chehalis River Basin Flood Zone Control District, the applicant seeking a flood-control structure in the upper basin. Martin said it’s likely, with paperwork sorted, he will stay on as a consultant with the district even as he starts his new position.
“I'm really excited to keep working on that because it means a lot to me. It's a really important project,” Martin said.
As for issues with 911 infrastructure, a constant hum asking for funds and repairs in recent years, Martin noted it’s highly possible the dispatch center will move out from under county leadership. While there have been struggles to get there, he said he thinks conversations around the topic are now productive.
The electeds above him believe Martin heads out with the county in a good place. With his appointment preceding the current commissioners, the three have learned from him and intend to find a replacement who, while different, can emulate some of the same values.
Asked what she’s learned from him, Pollock said, “being able to sit quietly and listen.”
Commissioner Sean Swope, of Centralia, similarly said Martin portrayed steadiness and sound leadership.
“We will go on and we will continue to operate at a high capacity, and that's a direct result of his leadership,” Swope said. “He's not leaving us where we have this big gaping hole. We know that all of our directors are fully capable of performing their duties.”
Commissioner Scott Brummer, representing East and most of South Lewis County, said many of the same things.
“You're only as good as your testimony and what other people say about you, and it's amazing to me how many people, everybody … has positive things to say (about Martin),” Brummer said. “It speaks volumes.”
