OLYMPIA, Wash. — Selah City Administrator Rich Huebner has been appointed to Association of Washington Cities (AWC) board of directors. Huebner was appointed to represent the Washington City/County Management Association (WCMA) at the association’s annual conference in Vancouver, Washington, held from June 18-21, 2024.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the AWC board of directors,” said Huebner. “Serving on the AWC board provides a great opportunity to build partnerships with cities all over Washington to leverage our limited resources and move our cities forward together.”
Selah Mayor Roger Bell commended Huebner’s appointment. “Rich is a steady leader who is committed to open communication and bringing people together to solve problems,” said Bell. “He will be a great addition to the AWC board and provide a voice for Selah on statewide issues affecting cities.”
“Rich brings a great energy and enthusiasm to his work every day. That, along with his professional perspective as a statewide leader among city managers and administrators, will make him an outstanding addition to the AWC Board,” said AWC CEO Deanna Dawson. “I look forward to building on his leadership in WCMA to strengthen the link between city leaders at all levels.”
The AWC board of directors is the association’s governing body. The board is comprised of 25 directors, 23 of whom are mayors or city councilmembers from Washington cities or towns, and two non-elected city officials who also serve as the president and past president of the Washington City/County Management Association.
A graduate of Selah High School, Huebner was hired as Selah City Administrator in 2023. His prior experience includes administrative work in the cities of Moses Lake and Monroe following two years in Snohomish County working in regional tourism coordination. Huebner has an MBA and JD from Seattle University, and a bachelor’s degree in communications and media studies from Washington State University.
More than 450 attendees representing over 130 cities and towns across Washington attended the AWC Annual Conference to learn about issues critical to the success of cities. The theme of this year’s conference was Livable, loveable cities, and keynote speaker Peter Kageyama shared his ideas on harnessing the passion people feel for the places they live to help build thriving communities. A highlight of the conference was a panel of distinguished leaders speaking to civic health and how cities are leading the way through divisive times. Sessions on infrastructure, emergency management, budgeting, legal requirements, the fentanyl crisis, and a wide array of other important topics rounded out the conference agenda.
Founded in 1933, Association of Washington Cities (AWC) is a nonprofit corporation that represents Washington’s 281 cities and towns. AWC’s mission is to build connections between Washington state’s diverse cities and towns, while providing their members with the support needed to thrive through delivery of data-driven education, nationally recognized pooling programs, and nonpartisan advocacy. Membership is voluntary; however, AWC consistently maintains 100 percent participation from Washington’s 281 cities and towns.
A complete list of AWC board of directors is available on the association’s website.