PORT TOWNSEND — Kate Burke is leaving her position as manager of Fort Worden and Fort Townsend state parks and the small Rothschild House park in uptown Port Townsend.
It isn’t her choice.
She wasn’t fired.
She was displaced, or “bumped,” a result of across-the-board State Parks budget cuts intended to shave expenditures by $11 million.
Burke, who has served as manager at the parks since 2002 and oversaw 33 full-time-equivalent positions, will wrap up her management duties by the end of the month, and Allison Alderman will take over effective Feb. 1, the state Parks and Recreation Commission said Friday.
Alderman’s position as region operations manager in the State Parks Northwest Region Office was eliminated as part of the agency-wide cuts, a move that saved $86,736 a year, said parks spokeswoman Sandy Meiling.
“This is a reduction in force,” Meiling said.
“This is not classified as a firing.”
According to state personnel system rules, when a staff position is eliminated, the person in the position has tenure rights to certain other positions.
Alderman has been with State Parks for 21 years.
“I’m devastated by this process and realization in knowing this is how my career will end at Fort Worden State Park,” Burke said in a statement.
“I put my heart and soul into
the success of the Fort Worden as well as Fort Townsend and Rothschild House.
“I empathize with the other State Parks employees that are going through the same process.”
Former Port Townsend City Councilwoman Laurie Medlicott, who worked with Burke as a city representative on the Fort Worden Advisory Committee, was surprised to learn of Burke’s impending departure.
“I thought she did a grand job in a very difficult situation,” Medlicott said, referring to state cuts that ultimately affected Burke’s position.
“I am totally gobsmacked.”
Port Townsend Puget Sound Energy general manager Tim Caldwell — who has served on the Fort Worden Advisory Committee off and on for 15 years and who was on the committee that interviewed Burke for hiring in 2002 — said her departure would be a significant loss to Fort Worden State Park.
“The big question when the new ranger comes in is, No. 1, getting that person up to speed about what is going on and, No. 2, determining if the passion’s there,” Caldwell said.
“It was obvious that Kate’s engagement there was 110 percent, and I hope [Alderman] has the same passion.”
Caldwell said he knew that Burke’s position was vulnerable in light of pending state cuts.
“It is very frustrating and very disappointing,” Caldwell said.
“Kate is going to be missed. I hope there is some way we can keep her in the neighborhood.”
Burke said Friday she was told at about Christmas that her job was “at risk.”
She learned the bad news Tuesday.
“I had known that I was a potential [cut] because I don’t have much seniority in State Parks compared to other people,” Burke said.
“They’ve given me some information about my options,” Burke said, and she has submitted resumes with the understanding that she could accept another State Parks position if it was a good fit with her experience.
“We have a house and have been committed to Port Townsend,” she said.
“We love the area, but it all comes down to a job.”
She said two maintenance employees at the parks have received notifications that their jobs are at risk.
“They will find out next week for sure,” she said.
“It’s a very stressful time for them, and I can relate to them.”
Recent cuts have affected 160 positions in the State Parks system, Meiling said.
Having more seniority than Burke, Alderman had “bumping rights” under state civil service and union rules, Meiling explained.
Alderman had other positions to choose from but took Burke’s job.
“I don’t like getting the position in this manner,” she said in a statement.
“I don’t like displacing Kate.
“But I am excited to be able to continue contributing to State Parks’ success.
“Fort Worden is a very special place with many dedicated stakeholders, and I will do my best there.”
During her career at State Parks, Burke — who holds a degree in business administration and management — worked closely with the park’s advisory committee in creating ties with the local Chamber of Commerce, city of Port Townsend and Jefferson County.
She led a public process to create a Lifelong Learning Center plan for the park that includes partnerships with area colleges.
Burke served on the board of the Jefferson County Land Trust, participated as an ex-officio member of the Fort Worden Advisory Committee and the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum, and was an advisory member of the Centrum Foundation Board and the city of Port Townsend Shoreline Master Planning group.
Caldwell, who also serves on the Fort Worden Public Development Authority board formed to oversee the optimization of business and education development of the park’s buildings, said he hopes Alderman can quickly understand the PDA and the current $5 million project to renovate Fort Worden’s Building 202 for Peninsula College and other classroom facilities.
Alderman, a certified public manager whose formal education is primarily in management, is a graduate of the State Parks Law Enforcement Academy.
At the Northwest Region Office, she managed budgets and human resources and supervised half of the Northwest Region’s parks.
She has served at Fort Flagler State Park on Marrowstone Island, Deception Pass on Whidbey Island and Moran State Park on Orcas Island.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
