SANDPOINT — After exactly two months without a Public Works director, the city's newest department head was sworn in on Monday.

Amanda Wilson comes to the city on the brink of a busy construction season, and with more than 15 years of related experience, she is up to the challenge.

"One of the reasons I came to work here, or wanted to come to work for the city, really is this focus on being as efficient and economical and accountable as possible," Wilson said. "I think that needs to be my primary focus right out of the gate, not only with the capital improvement projects that we have, but just the overall function of public works and how we can better serve the citizens." 

With an extensive background in construction management, Wilson said she has worked for general contractors, a large engineering firm, and for about the past four years she worked as a consultant supporting rural municipalities in Alaska, delivering some of their public works/capital improvement projects. She has also done "quite a bit" of non-governmental organization work related to public works in developing countries, she said.

Wilson was recognized nationally last year by the Design-Build Institute of America, receiving the 2017 Transportation Leadership award. She has also received two awards from the National Association of Women in Construction, including an executive spotlight award and Woman in Construction of the Year.

The city posted the position following the resignation of Ryan Luttmann on Feb. 2. The pool of 21 applicants was narrowed down, with 10 recieving first interviews and four finalists going through a three-tiered interview process, said City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton.

Stapleton said when the position was posted, city officials were looking at candidates who could not only serve in the city's traditional position of a Public Works director, but could function as a city engineer as well. The city generally contracts out engineering and construction management work. Though Wilson was the only one of the four finalists who did not have a professional engineer license, Stapleton said the skillset that she brings, her experience with municipalities and her leadership and communication skills stood out among the other candidates. It was a unanimous decision among the panelists to hire Wilson, Stapleton said. A special meeting of City Council was then held on March 27 to appoint Wilson to the position.

Stapleton said one of the reasons Wilson was at the top of the list of applicants was that she brought a "leadership skill set" and the "innovative background" to help the city move forward with its vision, looking at opportunities to restructure, pick up cost savings, and be "more effective and provide better service to the community."

"The other thing we liked about Amanda is she is our one candidate who had really come up through the trenches," Stapleton said. "She had done paving work, had been out on both maintenance and construction sites, having done fieldwork herself, in addition to supervising field work and the administrative side."

Wilson said she is looking forward to working with the community and, as she and her husband are "outdoors-driven," they are enjoying the area.

"I think I am in love with Sandpoint," Wilson said. "... We really, really loved Alaska and moved back to the lower 48 for my husband's job and to be closer to family. I really like the whole Pacific Northwest, but Sandpoint is like this mini-Alaska for me. It has everything that we want, and I think the people here are exceptional."

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.