Washington City/County Management Association

Newsletter - July 2026

President's Message

Laura Philpot

I’m excited to share that at our June 2026 Board meeting, the WCMA Board officially approved our 2026–2031 Strategic Plan. This marks an important milestone for our organization and reflects months of thoughtful, collaborative work.

Before anything else, I want to extend a huge thank you to Una McAlinden of Creative Strategy Solutions. Una guided us through the strategic planning process with exceptional skill, insight, and care. Her leadership as our facilitator helped ensure we built a plan that is both visionary and practical, and we are deeply grateful for her partnership.

Over the past several months, our Board engaged in a multi-session planning process reflecting on who we are, who we serve, and how we can strengthen our impact statewide. The result is a clear, disciplined Strategic Plan that focuses on deepening member value, strengthening organizational infrastructure, expanding the leadership pipeline, elevating the profession, and ensuring long-term sustainability.

I’m incredibly proud of the full Board for their hard work, not only in shaping this plan, but also in preparing for our upcoming Annual Summer Conference. Their dedication to WCMA continues to move our organization forward in meaningful ways.

A big thankyou also goes to our amazing partners at MRSC. Their staff are truly the backbone of our operations, always keeping us organized, supported, and yes, occasionally keeping us in line! We’re grateful for their expertise and the care they bring to everything they do for WCMA.

You’ll be able to find the full Strategic Plan on our website soon, and we’ll be introducing it in more detail at the Summer Conference, taking place August 11–14 in Kennewick. Registration is open, so please sign up!!  We would love to see strong participation from across Washington.

We are also excited to share several new volunteer opportunities. As part of implementing our new strategic plan, we have created subcommittees to help advance our priorities. More information will be available at the conference on how members can get involved.

As this will be my final President’s Message before we transition to our new Executive Board in August, I want to share that this has been an amazing, though incredibly fast year. It has been an honor to serve as the WCMA President, and I am deeply grateful for the support, collaboration, and spirit of service that define this organization. The work we accomplished this year builds on the strong foundation laid by the leaders who came before me, and I’m proud that we were able to add to that momentum. I’m excited for the strong path we’ve set for the years ahead and confident that future boards will continue that trajectory with energy and purpose.

Thank you for your continued support of WCMA and for the work you do every day in your communities. I look forward to seeing many of you in Kennewick as we begin this next chapter together.

Laura Philpot
WCMA Board President

Risk is rising. So is the power of pooling.

Guest Author and Featured WCMA Sponsor: Emily Schuh, Director of Member Pooling Programs, Association of Washington Cities

Local governments are under growing pressure from rising costs to increasing demands on their workforce. AWC’s Member Pooling Programs are built to help, giving cities, towns, and special purpose districts practical ways to manage risk, control costs, and support their employees.

Founded in 1970, the AWC Employee Benefit Trust was created to help Washington cities and towns provide medical insurance solutions for their employees. Since then, AWC’s Member Pooling Programs have grown to include property and liability coverage through the AWC Risk Management Service Agency (RMSA), a drug and alcohol consortium, and a workers’ compensation retrospective program. Today, these programs serve local governments—large and small—all across Washington.

At the core of AWC’s pooling programs is a simple but powerful idea: We are stronger together.

Pooling allows municipalities to manage uncertainty collectively, ensuring no single entity bears the full weight of a catastrophe. This model not only provides financial protection but also promotes long-term stability.

AWC’s programs are designed exclusively for local governments—and governed by municipal leaders—ensuring decisions are made by those who understand the unique challenges cities and towns face every day.

What truly sets AWC apart is our commitment to service and specialized offerings designed specifically for municipalities, paired with responsive, member-centered support. With a singular focus on Washington municipalities and special purpose districts, we bring deep expertise—whether providing timely guidance, analyzing risk data, or supporting members through complex operational and workforce challenges.

We are dedicated to strengthening municipalities and supporting the communities they serve.

For more information about AWC’s Member Pooling Programs, please feel free to reach out directly. I welcome the opportunity to connect and learn more about your organization’s needs, and I look forward to meeting many of you in person at the WCMA Conference in August in Kennewick.

Work Worth Doing: Andrew Neiditz

Andrew Neiditz

In my five years as a WCMA/ICMA senior advisor, I’ve had time and opportunity to reflect on what was most important to me in my 45 year local government career.

First, there has been the tremendous satisfaction, and gratitude, to serve in roles that were oftentimes more of a “calling” than a job per se. Public service is an honorable profession, in spite of the stress factors and angst associated with political pressure. It is a unique opportunity to evaluate one’s performance not in terms of profitability but in terms of quality of life. Not everyone gets to know the good feeling that comes from improving one’s community.

Secondly, there’s the recognition of “making a difference” in the lives of the many people with whom we interact. The elected officials, mayors, councilmembers, we serve—and those respectful but consequential relationships we develop with them should not be underestimated. And then there are the community residents, business people, and other citizens whose impression of their government can be formed and fashioned with our responsiveness.  And, of course, there are the employees, be they department directors, managers and supervisors, or line-level staff whose lives we impact and often determine whether they dread or actually like coming to work.

And finally, there is the relationship with “the self”. How do we take care of ourselves after a long day of reaching out to others? What do we do to balance and improve the quality of our own lives, so that we can be refreshed to continue to take care of all those others? I’ve come to believe strongly that effective and conscientious city managers are so preoccupied with taking care of their city, and their family, that they don’t take the time or have the energy to take care of themselves. There’s no workbook that outlines how best to do that; it’s a very personal strategy that each individual must discover in their own way. It starts with self-awareness, and some healthy introspection. And it may include exercise, coaching, meditation, breathing, art and music...until a state of balance between the professional, personal, physical, spiritual and emotional comes into play.  Oscar Wilde said “To love oneself is the beginning of a life long romance.” And it takes some work...work worth doing.

Andrew Neiditz currently serves as an WCMA/ICMA Senior Advisor for the South Puget Sound Region where he takes pride in providing a listening ear. After a 45-year in local government service, he enjoys the additional time that retirement provides with his children and grandchildren.

Leadership Transitions

Congratulations to these individuals who’ve recently been appointed to top manager or administrator positions in the following communities:


Chris Banks serves as City Administrator for the City of Buckley, Washington. He brings deep institutional knowledge and a strong background in municipal operations, having previously served the City in key leadership roles including Public Works Director and Interim Building and Planning Director.

Ed MeeceEd Meece was appointed City Administrator for the City of Cheney, Washington, in April 2026. He brings more than 30 years of local government experience, most recently serving as City Manager for Polson, Montana. Over his career, Meece has held executive and senior leadership roles in multiple communities, including Polson and Livingston, Montana and multiple municipalities in Kentucky. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Northern Kentucky University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Eastern Kentucky University.

Heather Thomas-MurphyHeather Thomas-Murphy was appointed as City Administrator in April 2026. Heather joined Clyde Hill following four years as City Administrator at the City of Snohomish, as well as 20+ years in the public and private sector. In addition to local government leadership experience, her background includes demonstrated success as a communications and public affairs professional, and a strong track record of bringing people together through collaboration. Heather holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Bachelor’s in English from Seattle University, as well as a Master’s in Communications from San Diego State University.

Stephanie LucashStephanie Lucash was appointed to be the first City Administrator for the City of Edmonds in May 2026 following a national recruitment process. She brings more than 30 years of local government leadership experience and most recently served as Deputy City Manager for the City of Kenmore. Throughout her career, Stephanie has held senior leadership roles with three Washington cities: Kenmore, Seattle, and Covington, and also with King County. She is known as a results-driven leader with a strong focus on organizational performance, collaboration, and community outcomes. Stephanie holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington and is an affiliate professor at the University of Washington where she co-teaches a local government course.  She serves on the board of the Northwest Women’s Leadership Academy, and is immediate past president of the Washington City/County Management Association.

Taylor ChambersTaylor Chambers serves as Chief Administrative Officer for the City of North Bonneville. She brings a strong background in local government, having worked for municipalities throughout her career. Taylor previously served as Deputy Clerk for the City of Bozeman, Montana, and Washoe County, Nevada, and most recently as Deputy Treasurer for Lincoln County, Washington. She holds a degree in Business Economics from the University of Nevada, Reno. Taylor relocated to the Columbia River Gorge following her husband’s career move and was subsequently appointed to her current role. She is an avid outdoor enthusiast and dog mom who appreciates the natural beauty of the region. In her new role, she is committed to professional growth, organizational excellence, and supporting the long-term success of the North Bonneville community.

Ryan WheatonRyan Wheaton was appointed as Orting’s City Administrator in June 2026. He brings more than 25 years of local government, transit, and school district experience to the position, most recently serving as Chief Planning Officer for Pierce Transit. In that role, he provided executive leadership for 80 staff members responsible for areas such as service planning, capital planning, grants, marketing, business sales, public engagement, and paratransit while overseeing a division budget of $38M and project budget of $96M. Past roles included serving as City Manager in Shelton, Specialized Transportation Manager at Pierce Transit, and a Program Coordinator for Steilacoom Historical School District.

Aaron GarzaAaron Garza was appointed City Administrator for the City of Othello in May 2026. A longtime member of the Othello community, he most recently served as Chief of Police, bringing extensive leadership experience and institutional knowledge to his new role. Over his 20-year career with the Othello Police Department, Aaron held a variety of positions—including patrol officer, detective, school resource officer, and sergeant—before advancing into executive leadership. He is also a proud graduate of the FBI National Academy out of Quantico Virginia.

Michael (Mike) CostelloMichael (Mike) Costello was appointed City Administrator for the City of Selah, Washington, in February 2026, after an extensive search. Mike brings a deep commitment to the Selah community, having previously served on the Selah City Council since 2020. He is also a retired Yakima police officer, offering a background in public safety and public service.


INSIGHTS: Effective Disagreement

The hidden discipline that protects leaders under pressure

The moments that test a leader’s resolve most rarely announce themselves. They do not arrive labeled as crises. They appear as routine questions, clarifications, or requests for additional information. On paper, nothing seems unusual. Read more in this ICMA Article – INSIGHTS: Effective Disagreement | icma.org

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