Camas names new community development director

More than a year after Phil Bourquin, Camas’ longtime community development director, retired in September 2021, Camas Mayor Steve Hogan has named Skamania County Community Development Director Alan Peters as Bourquin’s replacement.

Peters, who lives in Camas with his wife and daughter, will begin overseeing the city’s building, development engineering and planning divisions on Dec. 5.

Prior to being named community development director for Skamania County in 2021, Peters served as the county’s assistant planning director and as a county planner. He also has experience managing Skamania County’s environmental health division as well as county planning, building and fire marshal positions,

Camas Planning Manager Robert Maul has been acting as the city’s interim community development director since October 2021.

The city of Camas conducted a nationwide search for Bourquin’s permanent replacement and narrowed applicants down to three finalists.

Following interviews with senior city leaders and elected officials, Mayor Hogan said Peters was a “clear choice for the role.”

“I chose Alan based on the direction I believe the City needs to go and the challenges we have moving forward,” Hogan said. “I think Alan has the skill set we need to not only lead the department, but to also help the employees and the department grow.”

The community development director position was one of several key city management positions Hogan has had to fill during his first year as Camas’ mayor. Hogan recently promoted interim Camas-Washougal Fire Chief Cliff Free to the permanent fire chief position and will soon seek a replacement for Camas Police Chief Mitch Lackey, who is set to retire in early 2023. Hogan also is seeking a permanent city administrator to help him manage city staff and oversee the city’s day-to-day operations.