JaNae Nelson will be first woman in the role

By Kent Patton

EVERETT, Wash., April 7, 2020 – Snohomish County today announced the hiring of JaNae Nelson as Director of the Department of Facilities and Fleet. Janae comes to Snohomish County from Auraria Higher Education Center in Denver, Colorado, where she was Chief Operations Officer for the 45,000 student campus.

“We are very proud of our facilities and fleet operation.  The work they perform keeps our first responders and other essential staff functioning during an emergency,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “JaNae will be a great addition to the county team.  She brings a wealth of continuous improvement experience that will help us not only become more efficient with our operations but also save taxpayer money.”

“I am looking forward to leading the men and women of Snohomish County’s Department of Facilities and Fleet, who have adapted to COVID-19 and shown incredible creativity,” said Nelson. “We will work together to continuously improve our operations and find ways to serve our residents and the county even better.”

JaNae will oversee all county-owned facilities, including the county campus in Everett, all district courthouses, park properties, and other buildings. She will also oversee fleet operations, which includes all Sheriff’s Office patrol cars, Public Works vehicles, and other cars and trucks. The Department of Facilities and Fleet has 103 employees and a yearly budget of $48 million. She will begin work on April 13, 2020.

JaNae will replace Mark Thunberg, who retired this month after a 13 year career with Snohomish County.