Head of Workforce Snohomish retires

  • By Jim Davis HBJ Editor
  • Friday, September 5, 2014 9:45am

EVERETT — The president and CEO of Workforce Snohomish has retired and a search is under way to find her replacement.

Sue Ambler, 58, led the agency for eight years, overseeing a staff of more than 30 employees with a $9 million annual budget. Workforce Snohomish focuses on creating a competitive labor pool for Snohomish County and runs employment centers in Everett, Mountlake Terrace and Monroe.

“We’re serving more people at less money and we always strived to meet the needs of the county and the state of Washington to build a vital economy,” Ambler said.

Jeff Tomson, the board chair for Workforce Snohomish, said they are searching for a new head of Workforce Snohomish.

“I would hate to call it Sue’s replacement, because we can’t really replace her,” he said.

He added that she helped put the organization on a good footing.

“The organization had a lot of need for improvement,” Tomson said. “She came in and was instrumental in really helping the organization become the professional organization it is today.”

Workforce Snohomish is formerly Workforce Development Council Snohomish County. The agency receives federal funding and also grants to help get people back to work.

Snohomish County Executive John Lovick appoints people to the 30-member board, which must include a majority of people from private businesses and also include three labor representatives. The board then hires the CEO.

Ambler said that her husband, Lane Ambler, retired 5 1/2 years ago. She had several goals for her job including opening a center to help with veterans and their families. The Serve Center opened at the Everett Station at 3201 Smith Ave., Suite 215, last November.

“I pretty much met all of the goals that I set forward,” Ambler said. “My husband said, ‘Hey it’s been 5 1/2 years,’ and I said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’”

Lovick praised her drive and passion to connect people with good jobs and improve people’s lives.

“She’s always been a champion for our veterans, and I’m so grateful to her for her commitment to helping those who’ve given so much to our country,” said Lovick in a statement.

Under her watch, Ambler worked on helping to bring Washington State University’s presence to Snohomish County, helped the 700 people who lost their job when the Kimberly-Clark mill closed and helped with a financial turnaround of the agency.

She plans to continue her involvement with the United Way — she was the campaign chair in 2011. She also will remain on advisory council of the Washington State University of North Puget Sound of Everett. She’s also going to continue her work with the University of Washington Bothell’s school of STEM.

“That’s just about all I have on my plate right now,” she said.

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