Simmons snares top role at County as CEO Gemmill retires

Tuesday marked the start of a reshuffling of leaders in Spokane County and city government.

City Public Works Director Scott Simmons, a fixture at Spokane City Hall, will jump to Spokane County government and take over for retiring longtime CEO Gerry Gemmill.

Simmons will be replaced by Marlene Feist, the current strategic development director for public works, the city announced on Tuesday. She will be the first woman to lead the city’s public works division.

Gemmill, who was appointed as the CEO in 2015 after more than 30 years working for the county, had delayed his retirement last year to help lead the county through the pandemic. He now plans to depart at the end of April.

Simmons will take over as the county’s CEO on April 1, working alongside Gemmill for the first month, the county announced in a news release on Tuesday.

He has been the city’s director of public works since 2016 and, following the departure of Wes Crago last September, served as acting city administrator.

“I look forward to bringing my knowledge and past experiences to the county,” Simmons said in a statement. “Gerry Gemmill leaves some big shoes to fill. I’m grateful that we will have a transition period for me to download from Gerry as much as I can.”

Prior to taking the helm of public works, Simmons was briefly the city’s Business and Developer Services Division director. He worked in the private sector before joining city government in 2013.

Spokane County Commissioners heaped praise on Simmons on Tuesday.

“It became clear in our selection process that Scott would be a great addition to the county’s leadership team,” Josh Kerns, chair of the Spokane County Board of Commissioners, said in a statement. “I thank Gerry for his years of service to the people of Spokane County.”

His soon-to-be-former boss, Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward, also lauded Simmons.

“Scott will do a great job for the County,” Woodward said in a statement. “As sad as we are to see him move on from the City we are equally excited for the opportunities to continue partnering with the County on issues of regional significance and importance to our broader community.”

The city expects to finalize its choice for a permanent city administrator in the coming weeks.

Feist steps into the Public Works Director role with more than two decades of experience working for the city, including eight years in the public works division. Pending the approval of her appointment by the Spokane City Council, her first day will be April 1.

“Public works provides critically important services and infrastructure – everything from clean drinking water to improved streets. I am excited to take on the role of Public Works Director, and I thank Mayor Woodward for placing her trust in me,” Feist said in a statement.

Feist’s appointment comes as Woodward looks to shore up the top roles in city government.

Crago was the city administrator for less than a year before he departed, and the search for his replacement has been ongoing. The city is also looking to hire a Community and Economic Development division director and a Planning Department director.