New President of the Washington State Association of County Engineers

With nearly a decade of experience as Snohomish County Public Works Deputy Director and County Engineer, Owen Carter was recently appointed as the President of the Washington State Association of County Engineers (WSACE). This year’s WSACE presidential selection is significant as the 2016 National Associations of County Engineers (NACE) annual conference is set to be hosted by the Washington chapter.

As president, Carter will be significantly involved in the planning of the April 2016 NACE annual conference to be held in Tacoma, Washington. NACE is the country’s largest county infrastructure event where attendees can learn about the latest innovations in engineering technologies and software, management systems, best practices, and how to work with county governments. His hope is to make the 2016 NACE conference the best by showcasing what the Pacific Northwest has accomplished, including new traffic management methods and innovative approaches to typical projects. In addition to his participation as president of WSACE, he is also the lead on fundraising communications for the conference.

“Over the past years I’ve witnessed new county engineers take the lead in their organizations and introduce new innovative technologies and methods,” said Carter. “Organizations like WSACE and NACE are a great resource for all engineers to come together to share their experiences as the demand for ingenuity is high. As president, I plan to continue these conversations as well as provide a platform to discuss innovative approaches that are beneficial to the community.”

Carter will also focus his efforts on developing new committees that will work with legislature on initiatives that affect Washington counties. Similar to the success Snohomish County experienced with the recent Washington Transportation Initiative Package, Carter hopes to develop resources that will help ensure county roads and bridges are a priority for legislature. Recently, WSACE hired an executive director in Olympia to assist in this initiative.

Based on his own experience, Carter understands residents want a project completed quickly and cost effectively but also want to be heard and feel their opinion matters. With this in mind, he hopes to inspire county engineers to get to know and connect with citizens when addressing issues and planning projects. Their job, after all, is to serve the public and the best way is to know what it is they need.

“Working beside Owen for nearly three decades, I’ve witnessed his ability to lead and engage people to work towards a common goal providing different groups a win-win resolution,” said Steve Thomsen, Snohomish County Public Works Director. “Being appointed as president of WSACE is an acknowledgement that professionals across the state also recognized his ingenuity, leadership, and high professional engineering standards. There is no doubt in my mind that he has the ability to be a great leader for Washington State Association of County Engineers.”

Carter has been involved with WSACE for many years where he has previously held the positions of secretary treasurer, vice presidents of WSACE, as well as participating on a number of committees. He was previously recognized as County Engineer of the Year by WSACE in 2013.