New Wenatchee City Administrator Excited For Future

The City of Wenatchee's new City Administrator says she's ready to hit the ground running and continue the great strides the municipality has made in recent years.

Laura Gloria was appointed to the post last Thursday (Oct. 12) after spending four years as the City's Executive Services Director.

As administrator, all of the City's department heads will report directly to Gloria. Aside from that, however, she says the new title won't see her duties change that much.

"It's really a finite change that's designed to help the mayor focus more on policy and big-picture items. That way the department directors will now have me in my new role to be their day-to-day person for direction and support."

Since being hired by the City in 2020, Gloria has assisted with several large and complex projects, including the North Wenatchee Redevelopment Tax Increment Financing District, the $16 million Wenatchee Convention Center expansion, and the environmental assessment for the largest road improvement project in the City's history - the $187 million Confluence Parkway Project.

Gloria says she's looking forward to helping the City continue to grow in the years ahead.

"I'm really excited to be taking on this role. I've been in public service for nine years now and have been on this trajectory for a while now. But this is really less about career growth for me and more about continuing to be able to help the City, and now having a lot more capacity to help. So I'm really excited to be in this position. It's really a great opportunity."

Before coming to Wenatchee, Gloria worked as the Deputy City Manager for the City of Fresno, California.

She is a first-generation Mexican immigrant and will be the first female Administrator in the City of Wenatchee's history.