Practice
State & local government
Retained search for cities, counties, state agencies, transit systems and public utilities.
Cities, counties and states
We know how public bodies hire
Reffett Associates recruits senior leadership for city and county government, state agencies, transit systems, public utilities and public health districts. Our searches have placed department directors, finance and procurement leaders, technology leaders and agency heads who report to boards and commissions.
Public sector hiring runs on its own calendar, with council, commission and board appointments and open public meetings. Our Managing Directors bring direct public sector experience, including service on a city council, and we design each search around the way your governing body actually decides.
Reffett Associates is veteran-owned. We are named a Top 20 Government Executive Search Firm by Hunt Scanlon Media, three consecutive years (2021-2024).
Working with us
Every engagement is fully retained and personally led by a Managing Director. Searches are designed to complete within 90 days, adjusted to your own timing, and end with a final pool of three to five qualified candidates.
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Representative engagements
- City of Seattle. Director of the Department of Transportation, Director of the Office of Housing, Central Legislative Staff Director, and Director of Interdepartmental Operability.
- Seattle Public Utilities. Chief Financial Officer.
- Snohomish County. Finance Director, Purchasing Manager and Chief Diversity Officer.
- Community Transit. Manager of System Planning, and HR and Labor Relations Manager.
- Sound Transit. Executive Director, Design, Engineering and Construction Management.
- City of Charlotte. Systems Architect, PeopleSoft Administrator and Senior Software Developer.
- Spokane Regional Health District. Administrative Officer and head of agency, reporting to the Board of Health.
- Washington State Parks Commission. Agency Director, for a seven-member volunteer Commission, run in part through open public meetings.
- City of Unalaska. City Manager.
- Washington State Health Care Authority. Deputy Chief Financial Officer.
Where we work
Public bodies we serve
Cities and towns. Counties. State agencies and commissions. Transit agencies. Public utilities. Public health districts. Port authorities, including the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
Roles we place
Seats we recruit
City, county and town managers. Department and agency heads. Chief Financial Officers and finance directors. Transportation and utility executives. Technology, HR and procurement leaders. Heads of agencies reporting to boards and commissions.
Also in government
Federal agencies and the legislative branch
Looking for federal agencies, the legislative branch or national laboratories? See our Federal Government practice.