-Information provided by the City of North Bend
Five candidates have been chosen to advance as finalists in the hiring process for the North Bend City Administrator position, and on Thursday, June 5, they will interview with four local, city-organized panels.
Comprised of councilmembers, city staff, planning commissioners, local business owners, Snoqualmie Indian tribal members, the North Bend Downtown Foundation and the Chief Executive Officer of Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, the four panels will serve as final interviews for the candidates. Following the interviews, Mayor Miller will deliberate with the panel facilitators to gather all feedback before proceeding with the selection of a preferred candidate.
The city hired GMP Consultants to recruit candidates for the position after David Miller’s retirement in December 2024, and the subsequent hire of Bob Larson as Interim City Administrator. An extensive search and recruitment resulted in 51 applications and, following screening interviews with Mayor Miller and GMP, resulted in the following candidates as finalists:
Elizabeth Adkisson has over twenty years’ experience working in both the private and public sectors in Washington State. She began her public service career with the City of Redmond as the Deputy City Clerk, and then she moved to the City of Monroe as the City Clerk. In 2020 she worked as the Deputy Director (Operations), with the Office of the City Clerk for the City of Seattle. During her time with the City of Seattle, she became the Interim City Clerk. Presently, she serves as the Administrative Services Manager in the Finance and Administration Department with the City of Kirkland. Ms. Adkisson holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington and a Master Municipal Clerk designation from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.
Amber Emery has held leadership positions in the private and public sectors for the past 17 years. She has devoted the last 11 years to public service in Washington and Oregon. Her public service career began at the Multnomah County Circuit Court in Oregon, where she served as the Criminal Court Operations Manager from 2014 to 2018. After that, she worked as the Court Executive Officer for the Clark County District Court in Vancouver, Washington, from 2018 to 2022. Currently, she is the Deputy County Manager for Clark County, Washington, a position she has held since 2022. Ms. Emery holds a Master of Advanced Study in Criminology, Law, and Society from the University of California, Irvine, and a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University, Vancouver. She is a member of the International City/County Management Association and the League of Women in Government.
Andrea Lehner began her public service career in the Peace Corps in 2002 and started her local government career with the City of Kirkland as the Economic Development Intern in 2008. She worked as a graduate student consultant with the City of Seattle in the Department of Planning and Development and then as a Transportation Planner with King County Metro Transit. Afterward, she was the Economic Development Manager with the City of Issaquah, where she focused on helping businesses grow. Her most notable achievement was helping Costco headquarters expand. As Economic Development Manager for the City of Burien, she worked regionally on tourism and attracting downtown development. She currently serves as the Deputy City Administrator with the City of Issaquah, supervising multiple departments and leading long-term infrastructure planning efforts. She holds a Master of Public Administration with an emphasis in Economic Development Policy and Urban Planning from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs.
Evan Maxim has over 25 years of local government experience in Washington State. He began his career with the City of Issaquah in the planning department as an Assistant Planner. In early 2002, he went to the City of Sammamish and joined Sammamish’s Department of Community Development as an Associate Planner. He was promoted several times at Sammamish and eventually became a Senior Planner/ SEPA Official. Evan spent four years with the City of Mercer Island; he began as the Planning Manager and then became Director of the Department of Community Planning and Development. Since 2020, he has been at the City of SeaTac, where he serves as the Director of the Community and Economic Development Department. Evan holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Washington.
Scott Larson began his public service career with the City of Orting over 10 years ago. He began as the Finance Director/City Treasurer and quickly climbed the management ladder. He stepped into the role of Assistant City Administrator and has spent the last five years as the City Administrator. Scott received his Master of Science in Finance from Pacific Lutheran University and is currently a member of the International City Managers Association.
Meet the Candidates: Residents are invited to meet the candidates at a public reception on Wednesday, June 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the North Bend City Hall, located at 920 SE Cedar Falls Way. The city encourages residents to stop by, connect, and share their thoughts by filling out feedback forms available at the event.
Prior to the reception, candidates will have the opportunity to tour the North Bend community alongside city staff. The city anticipates the position to be filled this summer.
