Cliff Moore has served as the city manager for Yakima for three years. Prior to that, he worked for Thurston County for 12 years. Now he joins the Jefferson County WSU Extension as the new director.

Courtesy photo

The Jefferson County Extension for Washington State University welcomes Cliff Moore as its director starting in mid-September, marking the first time the county had its own in more than a year.

Moore is currently serving as the city manager for Yakima, a post he’s held for the past three years, prior to which he worked for Thurston County for 12 years.

Of those dozen years, Moore served three as county manager, four as director of the resource stewardship department — which included current planning, land use and environmental review, building permits, code compliance, the storm water utility, fire inspections and noxious weed control, the county fair and WSU Extension — five as the WSU Thurston County Extension director.

It was during those five years that Moore focused on community development, working closely with groups like the Hispanic Roundtable of Thurston County, the Native American Women’s Spirit Coalition and the Thurston County Partners for Children, Youth and Families.

Before his time in Thurston County, Cliff worked at Washington State University on campus in Pullman for 13 years, helping start the university’s distance learning program, and supervising its community learning centers, one of which was located at the WSU Extension office in Jefferson County.

Moore’s academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Irvine, and a master’s degree in education from the University of San Francisco.

“His prior professional and academic experiences provide him with a unique and valuable combination of skills as he assumes the Jefferson County director position,” said Clea Rome, whom Moore will be succeeding as director.

Rome will be returning full-time to her role as Extension Director for Clallam County. Moore and his wife Mea will be arriving in the community in mid-September.

THE PROCESS

Rome, the interim director of WSU Jefferson County Extension since November of 2017, explained that the four finalists for the position, which included Moore, were whittled down from a larger pool of at least 15 eligible candidates from across the country.

From their May 30 presentation to the public in Port Hadlock, those four finalists were further narrowed down by a seven-member selection committee, consisting of both local constituents who have worked with WSU and members of the WSU faculty.

Among the criteria that Rome said the selection committee considered were the candidates’ demonstrated abilities at effective communication, leadership in action, building partnerships and working with members of a community.

As for Rome, two years as interim executive director are enough for her, especially since she’s concurrently served as the full-time executive director of WSU Clallam County Extension.

“The WSU Extension program takes seriously the need for full-time executive directors at both Extension offices,” Rome said. “It’s an extremely exciting time for someone new to take on this position. It shows WSU’s level of commitment to its robust programs in the Jefferson County extension.”

Prior to Rome, Dr. Laura Lewis held the post for seven years, but she moved on to become the statewide food systems program leader for WSU, which has kept her active in Jefferson County.