Chelan County fills newly created position: economic services director

He will join the county April 3. Cridlebaugh’s new position is meant to help the county attract new businesses to the county. The position also will replace the economic development director previously held by interim director Sasha Sleiman, who is the county’s Housing Program coordinator.

“We will be looking at what we can do as a governmental agency to enhance our business environment and attract business to the county,” Cridlebaugh said in a news release. “We will also be assessing our county-owned visitor facilities to find ways to give our residents and visitors the best recreational experience we can.”

The commissioners wanted to reevaluate the county’s organizational structure because a variety of departments expanded into new roles, like handling housing, homelessness or infrastructure development.

Seattle-based BERK Consulting, hired to assess the county’s structure, recommended that a new position supervise economic development since the county administrator, for example, was overseeing a dozen unrelated programs and functions, according to a news release.

The county administrator will instead focus on the county’s internal services and directors, including, the facilities department, human resources, information technologies, the clerk of the board, the budget director and public information officer.

Cridlebaugh will lead economic development at the county while also overseeing other directors and managers for housing, Ohme Gardens, Wenatchee River Park, Chelan County Fair and Expo Center, Cashmere Airport and Fire Marshal’s Office, according to the news release.

The reorganization will reduce the number of those directly managed by the commissioners from 15 directors and managers to six, according to the news release.