Glenn Olson, former Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Clark County in Vancouver, Washington, has been appointed as the new Chief Administrative Officer for Kitsap County.

He will begin Sept. 4 and will make $145,000 annually.

Olson has more than 30 years of experience in public administration including budget and policy development, budget forecasting, implementing “lean” processes, human resources and labor relations strategy and reconfiguration of information technology services delivery.

“I have long admired Glenn’s ability and intellect,” said Josh Brown, chairman of the Kitsap County commission. “Kitsap County will benefit enormously from his addition to our organization.”

As the new chief administrative officer, Olson will be working closely with IS Director Bud Harris, Administrative Services Director Amber D’Amato, Human Resources Manager Penny Starkey and Labor Relations Manager Susan Smith.

He will provide leadership, direction and supervision over all internal services. He will be responsible for coordinating administrative functions such as organizational development, process improvement, strategic planning and budget on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners.

“The opportunity to serve in this wonderful community is just too good to pass up,” said Olson. “Kitsap County is a gem. I am thrilled and honored to be here,” Olson added.

Olson was initially hired by Clark County in 1997 as the budget director and eventually transitioned into the deputy chief administrative officer over internal services. He also served as a senior executive policy and forecast coordinator for the Washington State Office of Financial Management for more than 14 years.

Olson has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in sociology and demography from Western Washington University.

“Glenn is uniquely qualified to help the board and Kitsap County strategically address our diverse administrative functions on behalf of Kitsap residents,” said Kitsap Commissioner Charlotte Garrido.

Commissioner Rob Gelder also said that Olson “brings a wealth of expertise to this role and I look forward to working with him on how to move the county forward on process improvements and efficient operations.”

Olson has been very involved in the Washington State Association of Counties (WASAC) over the years. Eric Johnson, executive director for WASAC said that Kitsap County is gaining “one of the most talented, knowledgeable and dedicated county administrators in Washington State.

“I have had the opportunity to work with Glenn in a variety of capacities over the past 15 years,” he said. “His expertise in finance, pension policy, and county administration is unsurpassed. The Kitsap County board of commissioners could not have selected a more competent, ethical, and professional administrator than Glenn Olson. I look forward to continuing to work with Glenn in his new capacity with Kitsap County.”

Olson is the past president of Washington County Administrators Association (a WSAC affiliate).

Currently, he is heading up a project for WSAC to consolidate data from many state sources into a single system, so that counties may present a complete and comprehensive picture of their revenues, expenditures, and performance to the legislature, and to citizens.