SEWEDA moves forward as Columbia County stays

Members of the Southeast Washington Economic Development Association, or SEWEDA decided to hire a new full time executive director for the agency after learning Columbia County will remain in the agency.

Whitman County Commissioner Pat O’Neill reported the decision to the Gazette Tuesday after a meeting of the four-county agency’s board of directors at the Pataha Flour Mill near Pomeroy.

“Everything is going to be like it always was,” said O’Neill. “We’re going to just keep moving forward working with them.”

Jeanne Dickinson, Columbia County’s port manager, reported at the session that officials there had decided to stay in the organization.

SEWEDA lost its director in May, when Duane Wollmuth stepped down. O’Neill said the organization, considering the current job climate, is expecting a speedy hire of a new director.

“My hope would be, with the job situation the way it is, we’d have somebody on board in 60 days,” he said.

SEWEDA, which is headquartered in Clarkston, is the economic recruiting agency set up to serve Whitman, Asotin, Columbia and Garfield counties. Commissioner O’Neill represents Whitman County.

Columbia County had previously said it may leave SEWEDA to join its economic development efforts with groups in Walla Walla or northeast Oregon.

Columbia County this year contributed $31,545 of SEWEDA’s operating budget of $147,609.

Whitman County last year dedicated $46,656 to SEWEDA, while Asotin County put up $38,545, and Garfield County $30,863.

O’Neill said without Columbia’s funding, the SEWEDA board had considered a part time director. Whitman County leaders last week also discussed the possibility of joining with a Spokane organization.

“I don’t know if going north would be wise or not. I think that’s something that would have been good for us to look into if Columbia County pulled out,” said O’Neill.

SEWEDA also shares its director with the Regional Transportation Planning Organization comprised of the same four counties.

The director’s salary is split between the two organizations.