PRESS RELEASE - Andrew Dirks Named City of White Salmon Public Works Director

Andrew Dirks Named Public Works Director

The hiring caps a year of staff appointments and transitions for the City of White Salmon

April 11, 2023 (White Salmon, WA) —Andrew Dirks will be the city’s new Public Works Director. The announcement completes a year of staffing transitions, all of which have been intended to improve the operations of the city. Many of the personnel changes occurred last Fall, and were part of a year-long effort to rebuild the organization’s leadership and approach to providing services to the community.

Dirks steps into the Public Works Director position after serving six years in the city’s Public Works department. Having grown up in the Columbia River Gorge and graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Recreation Resource Management, Dirk’s desire to return to the Gorge ultimately brought him to work for White Salmon. His keen knowledge of the city’s aging water system is an asset as the city forecasts nearly $45M in needed improvements to their water infrastructure in the next 20 years.

“My field experience combined with the opportunities I've been given to lead the public works team gives me the ultimate combination of skills to lead White Salmon into the future. I will not take the responsibility lightly,” said Dirks.

The City also welcomed Troy Rayburn as its new City Administrator this past November. The creation of this new role was an intentional decision made by Mayor Keethler, driven in part by a belief that city staff across all departments needed focused leadership to improve administrative operations and project management, while also fostering a transparent and supportive workplace. Rayburn previously served as Public Works Project Manager for the City of Sisters, OR, where he supported master plan development for various projects, including the Parks Master Plan, and managed the Urban Forestry Board and Tree Conservation Program.

Rayburn’s family also has deep roots in the Gorge. A graduate of The Dalles High School, Rayburn has a BA in Public Administration from Oregon State University and continued graduate studies in Public Administration through the University of Oregon.

“Troy’s team-building mindset and broad experience in municipal government have already been a great asset within City Hall, and I believe will benefit the whole community,” Mayor Keethler said.

Rayburn took over for Paul Koch, who served as interim City Administrator for much of last year and was instrumental in improving city communications, setting up a strong foundation for Rayburn to build upon.

In addition to Rayburn’s appointment, the City of White Salmon also hired Jeff Broderick as the city’s new Land Use Planner, who began his tenure last August. Already a White Salmon resident, Broderick most recently worked for the City of Madras as an Associate Planner, where he faced similar housing challenges affecting affordability and supply.

“I have enjoyed my first few months working for the City and learning about challenges such as a shortage of housing that is affordable. We are working on multiple long term master plans including a much needed update to our housing code, a project that will occupy much of this year,” said Broderick.

Two recent retirements also initiated transitions in long-held positions. Jan Brending retired as Clerk/Treasurer this Fall, having served the city for 5 years, and Ken Woodrich retired as city attorney last month, having represented the city for 15 years.

Attorney Shawn MacPherson became the city’s new legal counsel effective this month; McPherson also represents Camas, Washington. Deputy Clerk Stephanie Porter was promoted to Clerk/Treasurer last September.

Additional internal promotions include the promotion of Troy Rosenburg to Deputy Clerk, and the expansion of Erika Castro-Guzman’s role to further support community planning and special projects. Both reflect the desire to reinforce growth opportunities for city staff.

“As a local employer, we want to continue to build and nurture a diverse team that sees opportunities for their own growth and development. Combined, I believe the team’s variety of experiences and capabilities will be strengths as we continue to refine how we improve our services for the public,” said Mayor Keethler.