Partway through the month of December, Lewis County Manager Ryan Barrett will depart from his position as the county executive for a new opportunity in the private sector.
He will be replaced in the interim by current Lewis County Budget Administrator Becky Butler.
Butler will start in the role for a six-month period, leaving that time for the Board of Lewis County Commissioners to initiate an external search or potentially confirm Butler as the long-term county manager.
Barrett officially submitted notice of his resignation in the middle of last month. The longtime Centralia resident and former Centralia city councilor would not disclose his new place of work and said only that he would be moving into the “field of automation and robotics.”
“I’m going to be sad to go,” Barrett said. “This big opportunity that I have to pivot into the private sector in the field of automation and robotics is essentially just something that’s too good to pass up.”
According to Barrett, he will carry the title of director of business development in his new position. He described the job as concerning “strategic growth,” developing “organizational culture” and building “strategic partnerships.”
Barrett first came on as Lewis County manager just over three years ago, starting the job at the end of August 2023. In an interview with The Chronicle, Barrett was positive about his time with the county, referring to determined and hard-working employees and calling the job “incredibly rewarding.”
“It’s been a very humbling and an educational and informative experience, and I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it,” Barrett said.
According to Barrett, constant budget concerns were the biggest challenge of his tenure as he described entering the position just as grant funding from the nation's response to COVID-19 was running dry. As he put it, the budget outlook upon his arrival required “immediate reductions.”
He described being able to “get in front” of more dire budget issues by helping the county navigate staff reductions ahead of time to avoid a more dire budget outlook down the road.
“I engaged with a lot of the members of the team to come up with some pretty creative solutions, and we had to consolidate, and everybody had to wear a few more hats, maybe than they had worn before, which is not uncommon,” Barrett said.
Lewis County officials often refer to the county as running “lean,” describing the need to reduce staffing while maintaining existing services.
Barrett grew up in the Tenino area before coming to Centralia. He has a bachelor's degree in business and corporate communications from The Evergreen State College as well as a master’s degree in business administration from Western Governors University.
Before serving as Lewis County manager, his professional experience was primarily in the corrections industry, working for the South Correctional Entity in Des Moines, Washington, for roughly 12 years before taking the job as Lewis County manager.
Barrett is optimistic about the county’s leadership moving forward and wholeheartedly endorsed Butler as his replacement. He expressed faith in the county’s department directors.
“She's incredibly equipped to take this position and continue to lead the organization in an exciting and successful trajectory,” Barrett said.
