Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
New directors are in place for the county’s Parks and Developmental Disability Services departments.
Dave Mahan, a nine-year ranger/operations coordinator for the county, took over Sept. 1 as parks superintendent from interim director Janel Goebel.
Goebel was named county coordinator of developmental disability services June 1.
Both new positions will be overseen by Bill Tensfeld, director of emergency management, who will now act as director for Parks, Developmental Disability Services, Emergency Management and Emergency Communications.
The new positions carry on the work of Tim Myers, who retired May 31 as head of parks and developmental disability services.
“It’s a reorganization of the departments and we’re going to do our best,” said Goebel, a longtime assistant to Myers. “We appreciate the support during the reorganization. Everyone has been great.”
Mahan’s title is now superintendent of parks, for which he will manage the county’s six parks. As ranger he was responsible for Wawawai and Klemgard parks and the Colfax Trail.
“There isn’t a person being hired to replace Tim,” said Mahan, who will continue to live in the earth-home at Wawawai Park. “I really enjoy living here. “
Goebel has worked in the County Parks office in Colfax since 1997.
With Myers’ former single position now split and on a lesser pay scale per seniority, the current parks budget allows Mahan to hire a third seasonal helper, generally a four-month position in spring/summer.
“If there is a need for more, we’ll look into that,” Mahan said.
A new office assistant also started Aug. 16 for clerical help to Goebel in the Parks/Developmental Services office, which has long shared space with Emergency Management and Emergency Communications. The new assistant is shared among the four departments.
This spring, leading up to Myers’ retirement, the county placed two rounds of advertisements seeking someone to succeed him. After receiving five applications, they did not think they had the right person.
In mid-August, Tensfeld and Goebel approached Mahan to ask if he would be interested in an arrangement in which he would become superintendent of the parks. After talks, Mahan agreed.
He now looks for the best way to arrange the new post.
“Just trying to find out a good configuration of how many employees and who does what ,where,” Mahan said. “Good maintenance is all about having a good routine.”
As for office time, Mahan will not necessarily travel to Colfax. The county installed a computer with satellite internet at the house at Wawawai. He had not had internet access at Wawawai before.
“Never saw the need,” Mahan said.
On Sept. 1, his first official day on the job, he looked to get set for Labor Day weekend in the parks, while at Wawawai, the pavilion was rented that day for a gathering.
“We’ve hired the best person for the position,” Goebel said, who worked in hotels for nine years before joining the county. She holds degrees from Eastern Washington University in recreation management and business marketing.
Mahan, from Rainier Beach, Seattle, went to WSU as a transfer from Bellevue Community College. He never graduated, instead going full-time with county parks after working for Myers in a seasonal job.
His interest in parks work took off in the summer of 1999, during high school, when he worked on a parks maintenance crew in Bellevue.
“I really, really enjoyed it,” he said.
Mahan graduated from Eastside Catholic High School in 2001.
“I’m really excited to keep working in the parks,” he said. “ It’s an honor to work in the county parks every day.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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