Sunday, March 23, 2025
Hawkins received his K-12 education in Wenatchee School District, graduated with honors from Central Washington University, and earned a Master’s in Public Administration from George Washington University in Washington, DC.
After returning home, he worked for 18 years as a PUD employee in hydro relicensing and government relations. He has served as a school board member, State Representative, and State Senator.
Hawkins was recently elected Chelan County Commissioner for District 3, which includes north Wenatchee, Sunnyslope, Entiat, Chelan, Manson, and Stehekin.
His wife Shawna is a teacher in Wenatchee School District. They have two teenage boys, Luke and Tyler. We recently caught up with Hawkins to learn more about him and his priorities for Chelan County.
Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I’m a proud husband, father, and public servant. I was raised in Wenatchee, have been married to my wife Shawna for 22 years, and have two teenage boys, Luke and Tyler. I worked as a PUD employee for 18 years while volunteering for local school boards. I was elected State Representative in 2012, State Senator in 2016, and Chelan County Commissioner in 2024. I love spending time with my family. To de-stress from work, I enjoy hiking, cycling, and hot yoga.
What unique perspectives will you bring to the County Commissioner role?
I’m excited to bring all of my skills and experience to Chelan County to help us. Having worked as a PUD employee and on school boards, I have years of local government experience.
Throughout my time as a state legislator, I’ve also worked with state and federal officials along with local business groups, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders. Despite this diverse experience, I’m still young and feel that I have a whole career still ahead of me. I’m excited to bring my perspective to the County Commissioner role.
What do you see as the most pressing challenges facing Chelan County in 2025?
Chelan County is an awesome place to live, work, and raise a family, but it is not without its challenges. Keeping the county budget balanced and maintaining key services, especially if sales tax revenues continue to level out or decline will be a big challenge. The county also has some continuing public safety, homelessness, housing affordability, and wildfire reduction issues, so nothing will be easy.
Which economic development initiatives do you believe could best support NCW's business community?
Chelan County needs to continue to grow and diversify its economy. We should look for ways to support our agricultural base while enhancing our technology, healthcare, outdoor recreation, and tourism industries. We must continue to look at economic development regionally and find ways to partner together on projects that keep us safe, put people to work, and benefit our greater good. One key opportunity along those lines involves treating regional forest lands (removing small diameter trees, clearing the underbrush, and utilizing prescribed fire) to help our lands better withstand wildfire.
What opportunities do you see for strengthening the relationship between county government and local businesses?
County government supporting local businesses is very important because the private sector helps us grow jobs, generate tax revenues, and maintain county services. It is important for Chelan County officials to realize that business and developers have the option to invest elsewhere, so we need to do everything we can to recruit and retain investment here. My hope is for businesses to feel supported by the county and that they know we are here to help them be successful.
How do you plan to balance the region's agricultural heritage with growing urbanization and development pressures?
Helping our agricultural operators be successful is definitely going to be a challenge due to state and federal mandates, regulatory burdens, court decisions, and inflationary pressures. Industry experts I’ve met with recently foresee a significant consolidation in the agricultural industry in the near term. Many family farms may choose to facilitate opportunities for housing and development. I’ll continue to advocate for more support of agriculture as a key industry with the hope that our region can support all those who wish to continue in operation.
How do you envision working to address affordable housing challenges in the county?
Affordable housing is definitely a challenge in our region. Fortunately, I’ve had success working with local housing trusts and non-profit organizations to expand affordable housing supply in the area, but it’s still a huge issue.
A significant number of people are moving up from California and over from western Washington. This has only increased following the COVID pandemic. The county could look creatively to grow housing in places like Malaga, Chelan Falls, and Dryden to support the communities of Wenatchee, Chelan, and Leavenworth, respectively. It’s a very challenging issue, in part, because our region is a very desirable place to live.
Who or what inspires you?
I’m inspired by so many families, including my own. We all deal with challenges and setbacks, so much so that successes, even small ones, deserve to be celebrated. Having just endured a long election season, I’m very grateful to have the support of so many people in our community and of my family. My wife Shawna is an amazing teacher in Wenatchee School District and mother. Our two boys are extremely dedicated students and athletes. My father, Buell Hawkins, is a retired Chelan County Commissioner. They inspire me to be the best husband, father, son, and public servant that I can be.
What do you like to do with your free time?
My favorite thing to do in my free time is to spend time with my family, including our two dogs, Mickey and Sadie. I’m excited to have more opportunities for family events now that I’ll be serving as a Chelan County Commissioner rather than splitting time between Wenatchee and the State Capitol. Most of my extra time was dedicated to my campaign last summer and fall. So when I’m not intensely involved in County Commissioner work, I look forward to catching up on movies, school sports, NFL football, and family meals in the new year.
Quinn Propst: 509-731-3590 or quinn@ward.media.
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