Lewis County Commissioners name Steve Wohld as interim County Manager
Lewis County interim County Manager Steve Wohld.
CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Commissioners on Tuesday appointed Chief of Internal Services Steve Wohld as interim County Manager. Wohld, 42, will succeed Erik Martin, whose last day is April 3.
After nearly five years as County Manager, Martin accepted employment with an engineering and planning firm.
“Thank you for the support and I’ll do my best to keep things moving forward,” Wohld told the commissioners.
“I’ve always tried to be a good wingman for Erik and I’m excited to be the bridge from his position to our next permanent county manager,” said Wohld, who has been employed by the county for 17 years. “I care about this county, I care about my coworkers and I want everyone to be as successful as possible. I’m really confident in the leaders that are here.”
“We are doing some great things here in Lewis County and continuing to strive towards providing quality services is key,” Wohld added. “From the Board (county commissioners) down, we have people that are extremely dedicated to their work in doing good things for the citizens of Lewis County and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
“Steve has a wide array of experiences and has been at the forefront of a lot of major projects and work that the county has been doing,” Lewis County Commissioner Scott Brummer said. “I think he’s a good fit to take the reins temporarily while we search for a new county manager and I think he’ll do a good job helping the commissioners and department directors stay on steady ground.”
“Having moved up through the (county) system, starting at IT and becoming a director there and moving up to Chief of Internal Services, he’ll be able to provide a steady hand at the helm as we search for someone who can serve as a full county manager,” Commissioner Lindsey Pollock stated. “Having his steady hand will help give us the space to make sure we select a good fit for manager.”
“Thanks for being willing to do this,” Commission Chair Sean Swope told Wohld. “You’ve got a big plate on your hands already and you just made a buffet out of it.”
The commissioners have hired a consulting firm to find Martin’s permanent successor.