Several other leadership jobs are vacant

Monday, December 29, 2003

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF

The governor's job isn't the only high-profile post that's opening up in our area. Here are several other important positions that must be filled.

UW president: The University of Washington has a new president, but only for a short time.

The state's flagship university is still on the hunt for a permanent replacement for Richard McCormick, who left in November 2002 to become Rutgers University president.

The first round of the UW's search came up empty in September, and the Board of Regents set May as the new deadline for a short list of final candidates.

Board President Gerald Grinstein has said he is optimistic a new president will be named by fall.

The head of the search committee, Paul Ramsey, said the search is on track and "going well."

Many state legislators and UW faculty members say it's crucial that the university have a permanent president in place this coming year -- geared up for the legislative budget cycle in January 2005.

In the meantime, the board has turned to former provost Lee Huntsman to fill the leadership void.

-- Jake Ellison

Ecology Department director: Wanted -- a public servant willing to get in the middle of virulent debates pitting businesses and landowners against environmentalists and community groups on matters of pollution, shoreline development and water rights.

This lucky individual also gets to enforce environmental laws regulating thousands of businesses and local governments statewide with a budget that's shrinking relative to the state's overall pot of money.

That's right, the position of Ecology Department director needs filling.

This fall, Tom Fitzsimmons left to become chief of staff for Gov. Gary Locke. He'd been director since Locke took office in 1997. Former deputy director Linda Hoffman is serving as interim director.

Locke is expected to decide after the first of the year whether to make Hoffman director or appoint someone else.

The post pays up to $135,000 a year. The department's annual operating budget is more than $300 million.

The department has taken a beating in recent years by the Competitiveness Council and others concerned that the department is unfriendly to business. At the same time, environmental groups have protested that the agency is soft on polluters, in both permits and punishments.

-- Lisa Stiffler

Attorney general: Democratic incumbent Christine Gregoire is stepping down after three four-year terms to run for governor. There are plenty of people looking to take her place.

Former Insurance Commissioner Deborah Senn and former Seattle City Attorney Mark Sidran are running for the Democratic nod.

King County Councilman Rob McKenna will face Mike Vaska, a partner in the Seattle law firm Foster Pepper & Shefelman, for the GOP nomination.

-- P-I staff

Add P-I Local headlines to