News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 24, 2004
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Mike Gowrylow, Department of Revenue, 360-486-2113; Sheryl Hutchison, Department of Ecology, 360-407-7004

Gov. Gary Locke Appoints Directors of Revenue and Ecology

Gov. Gary Locke today appointed Will Rice as director of the state Department of Revenue and Linda Hoffman as the director of the state Department of Ecology.

Rice has been acting director of the Department of Revenue since December 2001. He has also served as deputy director, property tax division director, and assistant director for operations within the department. He has worked in the Department of Revenue for almost 20 years.

“Will has been a tremendous asset to the Department of Revenue,” Locke said. “He has helped maximize the efficiency and simplicity of our state tax system, and I am pleased he will be continuing his successful efforts.”

Under Rice’s direction, the Department of Revenue recently was recognized by Governing Magazine as a “four-star” agency for outstanding administration of the tax system.

“We need to make it as simple as possible to do business in Washington,” Rice said. “I know people don’t enjoy paying taxes, but we can ease the burden by making it easy to do so.”

Rice received his bachelor’s and master’s of public administration degrees from the Evergreen State College. He will receive an annual salary of $112,000.

Hoffman has been interim director of the Department of Ecology since October 2003. She was appointed deputy director nearly three years ago. She has 26 years of experience working in local government, mostly in land-use and environmental management.

“I am pleased to appoint Linda as director of the Department of Ecology,” Locke said. “Under her leadership, I am confident the department will continue to improve permit processes while maintaining environmental standards.”

Throughout her career, Hoffman has worked to make government more effective and more responsive to citizens.
“I believe we can do a better job of protecting the environment if we create positive, effective relationships with people and businesses in our communities, and I know the governor shares that approach,” Hoffman said. “I look forward to continuing progress on the governor’s environmental agenda through the rest of his term.”

Hoffman holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley College and a master’s of city and regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania. She will receive an annual salary of $113,000.

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Related links: www.governor.wa.gov; www.dor.wa.gov; www.ecy.wa.gov




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