Washington ag is in full spring swing

Patrick Capper
WSDA Deputy Director

Gov. Jay Inslee and Patrick visit with Ray de Vries, owner of Ralph's
Greenhouse in Mt. Vernon, Skagit County. 

What better time to tour beautiful Skagit County than the start of the growing season. I joined Gov. Inslee last week to tour two farms in Skagit County. WSDA has worked in the Skagit the past couple of years to build strong partnerships and engage with the farming community.  

The first stop was Washington Bulb Company, owned by the Roozen family. Washington Bulb - which grows tulips, daffodils and irises - is the largest bulb producer in the world, covering Skagit Valley with more than 1000 acres of field blooms and 16 acres of greenhouses. 

We also visited Ralph’s Greenhouse in Mt. Vernon and saw organic leeks, beets, and radishes. I am always impressed to see firsthand the hard work and innovation of Washington’s farming community.

Leadership Team developments

WSDA’s Leadership Team (LT) continues moving toward establishing processes for efficient decision-making and increased communication. 

For instance, we have launched a process to streamline and prioritize technology requests. A review group will consider factors such as the project’s budget and how broadly it could be applied across the agency. We hope this new process allows IT to better prioritize requests, while giving requesters more confidence about timeline and costs. 

Communication and engagement

As I’ve noted before, I will use the Insider to communicate with WSDA employees. I also encourage you to keep up on agency news by reading the Connect sent to you every Wednesday, watching the Insider blog for more detailed features, and following WSDA’s social media platforms (read about them on the blog).

WSDA’s Performance and Planning Management Office has begun to organize employee focus groups that will delve into the agency’s Employee Engagement Survey results and identify actions to improve the areas where we fell below the state average. The Leadership Team and I are also exploring other opportunities to respond to the survey results, such as employee listening sessions. 

Thank you!

During Public Service Recognition Week (May 6-12), I thank all of you for your hard work and dedication to WSDA and the public.  Here is a schedule of planned events around the state from the Secretary of State’s Office. 

Finally, I’ve learned so much and met so many wonderful people over the past few months on this job. I’m looking forward to getting to know even more of you as I am able to get to offices around the state. 

In summary: Deputy Director Patrick Capper updates staff on leadership news, his recent travel with the governor, and other developments. Check it out on the Insider employee blog.