PORT TOWNSEND — David Timmons, Fort Worden Public Development Authority executive director, plans to retire in September.
“I really believe in this and believe we are on the right path,” Timmons told the Public Development Authority (PDA) board Tuesday.
“But at some point, I owe it to myself and my family to look forward to a true retirement,” he said, referring to his first retirement in 2019 after 20 years as the first city manager Port Townsend ever had.
Timmons’ resignation is set to take effect on Sept. 28, but he told the PDA board he intends to be flexible with that timeline until a suitable replacement can be found.
“I have stated I will stay on until a replacement is on board so long as the process gets underway,” Timmons said.
PDA Board Chair David King said Friday that a company would be hired to assist with the search for a new director.
“We have a lot of flex because of what (Timmons) has said he’s willing to do,” King said, adding that Timmons had agreed to help advise a new director to ensure a smooth transition.
Timmons assumed the role in 2020 when the PDA was struggling with financial troubles made worse by COVID-19 shutdowns.
In his time as director, Timmons said he has consolidated the PDA’s capital debt, led the PDA through the State Auditor’s Office audits, secured financial support from Washington State Parks and the state Legislature and repositioned Fort Worden Hospitality as a concessionaire.
At Tuesday’s meeting, PDA board members thanked Timmons for his leadership, saying he had been instrumental in putting Fort Worden on more stable footing.
It was “easy to forget that when Timmons stepped up, it was absolutely the worst of times, and the future of the entire enterprise was unknown,” said Rob Birman, executive director of Centrum, an arts presenter housed at the fort.
“Timmons was absolutely the right person at the right time to be righting the ship,” said Brad Mace, a PDA board member. “We would not be sitting here having this conversation had he not been willing to do that.”
Fort Worden has been struggling financially for years, and on June 15, the Port Townsend City Council voted to conduct a public hearing in August on potential corrective action for the PDA.
Council members expressed frustration with the PDA for delays in submitting financial reports and discussed ways in which the city could provide support.
Timmons said at the council meeting that limited staffing levels were making addressing Fort Worden’s issues difficult.
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.
