Get to Know Austin Ramirez

TUMWATER’S NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

BY KATHRYN MILLHORN

The City of Tumwater recently added an Economic Development Manager position and chose Austin Ramirez to fill it. Like the job, he’s new to our area but has big plans to build a future in the Evergreen State.

“I first visited Oregon in 2014 and quickly fell in love with the Pacific Northwest,” says Ramirez. “Over the years I found myself coming back for any excuse to visit and convinced myself it would just be cheaper to relocate. In 2018, I finally convinced my thengirlfriend, now-wife and moved to Eugene, Oregon for an economic development position at Lane County. A few years and several adventures later, we have not looked back and could not be happier to now be in Washington state. California and Oregon have been great to us, and we visit often, but Washington is where we plan to put down roots and start a family.”

His experience in similar development jobs will be a tremendous benefit for this new role. “I had just started looking for new career opportunities in Washington when I came across a post on LinkedIn about the new Economic Development Manager position at the City of Tumwater. I knew of their brewery and craft district work from some peers who had consulted for the city and was immediately interested in the opportunity. I found the post a few hours before the job listing closed, so I rushed to sneak in an application before the deadline. A few months later and here we are!”

Ramirez has worked in city and county government for the majority of his career. “Between my experience in California and Oregon, I have been lucky to dive into a variety of economic development work that made this opportunity in Tumwater possible.”

Though a new position within Tumwater’s hierarchy, the city has long been working towards enhancing economic development opportunities. “This position has been a strategic goal for the Tumwater City Council for a long time,” says Ramirez, “largely out of a desire to support resilient, sustainable, and equitable economic development as envisioned in their Economic Development Plan.”

“With regards to my role in daily governance, it really is to implement the Council’s vision set out in the Economic Development Plan and provide professional recommendations on how to achieve those goals. Doing that successfully will require actively fostering collaboration with our many economic development partners, particularly business support organizations like the Thurston Chamber, Tumwater Chamber, and EDC, just to name a few. As well as other government agencies, the local business community, and many others. I have also found that it’s critical for roles like mine to elevate the voice of the local business community to ensure their perspective is considered when we are making important policy decisions.”

Whatever lies ahead, Ramirez is excited for the challenge. “I really hope that we continue to create an environment where current Tumwater businesses see this community as an excellent place to grow, and where new businesses and entrepreneurs see this community as an excellent place to start. Much of that work is already underway, so I am excited to continue to support that ongoing effort.”

And he welcomes input from residents and business owners alike. Officials are still updating the website but, in the meantime, “I just want folks to know they are welcome to reach me anytime. My direct line is 360.754.4188, or they can always email me at aramirez@ci.tumwater.wa.us. I am here to be a resource for businesses, so please don’t hesitate to contact me for help with anything. I know how overwhelming it can be for a business owner to navigate local codes, access state and federal programs, understand their options all while trying to operate their business. I am here to help, and if I don’t know the answer, we are fortunate to be in a region with so many great partners who can also help. I am connecting with local businesses every week, so if anyone has any other questions or just has a particular topic they want to brainstorm about, feel free to reach out!”

His schedule may be busy, but Ramirez enjoys taking a break when he can. “Outside of work, most of my hobbies revolve around my love of food and the outdoors. This region has so much to offer in both those areas and it’s been amazing to explore. My ideal day off would include hiking through the woods for some mushrooms—oysters, morels, and summer chanterelles this time of year—fishing and crabbing from my kayak, and then making dinner with my wife from the day’s bounty while sneaking scraps to our two pups. Mix in some local craft beverages in all that and I can’t think of a better day! My wife jokingly (I think) claims that she married me because of my cooking, so I have to stay on top of my game!”

Growth is exciting and thanks to the foresight of our leaders and energy of new hires like Austin Ramirez, Tumwater and the entire Pacific Northwest will benefit in the end.