Brown appoints new city administrator, brings back former Councilman Jon Snyder for new transportation role

Oct. 23—Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown is filling several positions, including the city’s top unelected position and a newly created trustee position that will be filled by a former two-term City Council member.

Brown’s chief of staff, Alexander Scott, has been elevated to city administrator, his office announced Wednesday. He will receive a salary of $186,600.

She hired former councilor Jon Snyder to the new role of director of transportation and sustainability, which will replace the current chief of staff position in her office.

She also chose a human resources director and an information technology director, which remained empty for all or most of her first year in office.

Brown named Scott as chief of staff before he was sworn in last January. Scott had previously worked for two years as a federal policy specialist for the state Department of Commerce, an agency Brown led until he resigned last year to run for mayor. Scott previously worked as Eastern Washington Director for Democratic U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell as well as in various roles for the Spokane City Council, the State Democratic Central Committee and as a legal intern for the State Senate. ‘State.

Scott will replace interim City Administrator Garrett Jones, who was hired to temporarily fill the role following the resignation of former City Administrator Johnnie Perkins amid a sexual harassment scandal last year. Jones will return to his former role as parks and recreation director.

City spokeswoman Erin Hut said Wednesday that the city partnered with Issaquah, Wash.-based recruiting firm Prothman to conduct a search for candidates for the position of city ​​administrator, but Brown opted to hire internally.

That company was also asked to help recruit a new human resources director, and Brown named Allison Adam to the role Wednesday. Adam most recently worked as the Director of Human Resources for Washington Gastroenterology, the largest practice of its type in the state. Hut said the city has not finalized Adam’s salary, which ranges from $134,007 to $189,151.

Adam will be the department’s fifth chair in as many years. His predecessor, David Moss, was fired in February.

Another city employee, Laz Martinez, was named director of the IT department, replacing the recently retired Mike Sloon. Martinez has worked for the city since 2019, starting as an IT manager for the public works division, after working as deputy city manager and director of technology for the city of Lakeland, Florida.

Again, Hut said the city has not finalized Martinez’s salary, but the salary range is between $135,853 and $184,161.

Rather than hire a replacement chief of staff, Brown will replace the position with the new position of director of transportation and sustainability. In this role, Snyder will work across all city departments to lead initiatives related to these two areas, Hut said. Snyder spent the last nine years working in Gov. Jay Inslee’s office as senior policy advisor for outdoor recreation and economic development. Snyder is the founder of Out There magazine, an outdoor and recreation publication.

Snyder’s salary has also not been determined, but the salary range has not changed from the chief of staff position, according to Hut. Potential salary ranges from $134,007 to $189,151.