Brown names new city administrator and brings back former Councilman Jon Snyder for new transportation role

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown is filling several positions, including the city’s top unelected position and a newly created directorship that will be filled by a former two-term city council member.

Brown’s Chief of Staff Alexander Scott has been elevated to city administrator, her office announced Wednesday. He will be paid a salary of $186,600.

She hired former Councilman Jon Snyder to the new role of director of transportation and sustainability, which will replace the existing chief of staff position in her office.

She also picked a human resources director and information technology director, which have been empty either the entirety or most of her first year in office.

Brown tapped Scott to serve as her chief of staff before she was sworn in last January. Scott had until then worked for two years as a federal policy specialist for the state Department of Commerce, an agency Brown led until resigning last year to run for mayor. Scott previously worked as the Eastern Washington Director for Democratic U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell as well as in various roles for the Spokane City Council, state Democratic Central Committee and as a legal intern for the state Senate.

Scott will replace interim City Administrator Garrett Jones, who was tapped to temporarily fill that position following the resignation of former City Administrator Johnnie Perkins amid a sexual harassment scandal last year. Jones will return to his prior role as director of parks and recreation.

City spokeswoman Erin Hut said Wednesday that the city had partnered with Issaquah, Washington-based recruitment firm Prothman to conduct a candidate search for the city administrator position, but Brown decided on an internal hire.

That firm was also asked to assist recruiting for a new human resources director, and Brown named Allison Adam to that role Wednesday. Adam most recently worked as human resources director for Washington Gastroenterology, the largest practice of its kind in the state. Hut said the city has not finalized Adam’s salary, which has a range of $134,007 to $189,151.

Adam will be the fifth director of the department in as many years. Her predecessor, David Moss, was let go in February.

Another city employee, Laz Martinez, has been named director of the IT Department, replacing recently retired Mike Sloon. Martinez has worked with the city since 2019, starting as IT manager for the Public Works Division, following a stint working as assistant director and chief technology officer for the city of Lakeland, Florida.

Again, Hut said the city had not finalized Martinez’ pay, but that the salary range was between $135,853 and $184,161.

Rather than hire a replacement chief of staff, Brown will replace the position with the new position, director of transportation and sustainability. In that role, Snyder will work across city departments to lead initiatives related to both of those subject areas, Hut said. Snyder spent the past nine years working in the office of Gov. Jay Inslee as a senior policy advisor for Outdoor Recreation and Economic Development. Snyder is founder of Out There magazine, an outdoors and recreation publication.

Snyder’s pay has also not been determined, but the salary range has not changed from the chief of staff position, according to Hut. The potential salary ranges from $134,007 to $189,151.