Grays Harbor County Commissioner Randy Ross has learned in his nearly four years on the job that even a long and successful career in both private and public sectors can’t ready one for all the challenges of stepping into the position of commissioner.

“The one thing you cannot prepare for, even with a good business background, is the breadth of knowledge and diversity of county government, but it helps to have that experience,” said Ross, who won the seat in the 2016 election and has no party preference. “The other thing you learn quickly is you need to stay true to your principles, but be willing to find the best win-win decision you can make, whenever possible.”

Ross adds that financial pressures at the state level have affected the county, and those pressures will continue unless the state takes action.

“The last thing you learn quickly is the cost of government always goes up more than the revenue government receives to run it,” he said. “Unfunded state mandates continue to impact our county finances and there is no end in sight. Until the State of Washington is willing to step up and fully fund our court system, the cost of indigent defense, share motor vehicle fuel tax income equitably and fund mental health treatment programs, these issues will continue to put financial pressure on county governments.”

With over 40 years of experience in the banking, finance and insurance industries, Ross draws on lessons learned in his youth working at his father’s sawmill/logging operation in Chewelah.

“My brother and I learned the value of an honest day’s work early,” he said. “I was only 5 years old when my father allowed me the opportunity to learn about work and responsibility. It was a family business and my father and mother, along with my brother and myself all contributed. … We all worked hard. Dad managed the business, mom did the bookkeeping and managed the household. My brother and I worked in the business; you can say we did on-the-job training.”

Some of that on-the-job training included setting chokers, falling trees, driving forklifts — all the duties one would expect working their way up through the logging industry. Ross paid attention enough to learn from his mother how to keep the books and eventually, to run a retail lumber yard himself.

“I grew up learning the value of hard work and how to stick with something until the job was done,” he said.

Ross moved to Aberdeen in 1990 after accepting a Vice President/Manager position of the Security Pacific Bank in Aberdeen with his wife, Debbi, who is now an Aberdeen city councilwoman, and three daughters. He said he fell in love with the location and, sans a five-year move to Silverdale in the early 2000s, has called Grays Harbor County home.

“I often tell people I moved from God’s country to Noah’s country when I came here in 1990,” he said. “The fact is, I love the greenness of the area, the temperate climate, the diversity and beauty of the environment and the fact the area has great potential to attract like-minded people who enjoy the same things. We are only a couple of hours away from Seattle and Portland, but we don’t have the population density of those areas. Within 20 minutes of my house, I can be walking on the ocean beaches. Within 45 minutes, I can be enjoying our national parks and forests.”

Family comes first to Ross, as he met his wife when he was 8 years old and they have remained together ever since, celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary this year. He and his wife have five grandchildren, two of which are serving in the United States Marine Corps.

Community service is also important to Ross as he has served in several community-related positions over the years. He served as the president of three Chambers of Commerce, the Chair of Greater Grays Harbor; and has been on the boards of Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary and the Junior Chamber of Commerce.

“What I’m most proud of is my record of working with small businesses as a commercial lending officer and my record of leadership in community service,” he said. “I worked in small communities and have always been involved. From the time I was a high school student throughout my working career, I have been involved in the chamber of commerce, in the schools, attending our daughter’s sporting activities and other activities.”

Issues Ross notes as priorities are getting the local economy restarted “once we are done dealing with COVID-19, ensuring the planning/building department is well staffed and able to effectively deal with residential housing growth over the next 20 years, working with our state and federal elected representatives to provide more certainty in the permitting process with the Department of Ecology and the Army Corps of Engineers and investing in broadband in both rural and urban communities in the county.