Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is set to welcome a new executive director after an extensive selection process that evaluated multiple candidates.
During a council meeting on Friday, Nov. 7, members voted to direct TRPC Chair Robin Vazquez to enter into contract negotiations with Elissa Gertler for the executive director position.
The council also approved a motion identifying R. Todd Ashby as the alternate candidate should initial negotiations with Gertler be unsuccessful.
The council conducted interviews with three finalists — Gertler, Ashby, and Ryan Andrews — for the position vacated by Marc Daily in June.
Council members highlighted the strengths of each candidate. Getler has more than 25 years of experience in housing, transportation, land use and community development. Ashby has extensive experience in metropolitan planning organizations across multiple states. Andrews has more than two decades of experience in city and county planning.
Council members described the decision as “difficult” because of the strong qualifications of the finalists. The final interviews were held in executive session for more than five hours before the council reconvened for public deliberations, where more discussion and a final vote took place. The selection process also included input from staff and community members.
The TRPC executive director serves as the agency’s chief executive officer, providing strategic leadership and operational oversight in transportation, land use and environmental planning.
Responsibilities include managing budgets, staff and intergovernmental coordination, fostering regional collaboration, ensuring compliance and promoting a culture of communication, innovation, equity and continuous improvement.
According to a hiring announcement, TRPC offers a compensation and benefits package valued at approximately 28% of salary.
As of January 2025, the executive director position carried an annual salary range of $155,000 to $170,000, depending on qualifications and experience.
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mhjwilson
The first thing they need to do is abolish the zoning code. It is racist in origin and was used in Baltimore to keep the Blacks and whites separated. That then spread throughout the South and then the nation. It was also used in California to push out the Chinese. Add to that it is estimated to cost the nation about $2 trillion annually. Per capita that is about $6,000 per citizen. It might be interesting to see how that impacts Thurston County.
Next the urban transit market needs to be opened to the general public. If someone wants to start a transportation business there should not be laws that stop them.
Monday, November 10, 2025 Report this
NutTreeLoop
Ms. Gertler will do a terrific job. Good choice.
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 Report this