About Kevin

Kevin's Story

The responsibility and impact of the Director of the Department of Community Development cannot be understated. Kevin has years of experience in not just management roles, but also working with local government to keep moving our community forward.

Why do I want to be your next Director of Community Development and how am I best suited for the position?

I first came to Clallam County as a little boy in 1961 on a family trip. We all fell in love with the area and twenty years later my family started moving to the Pacific Northwest and we all live between Port Angeles and Vashon Island. My wife and I bought our first property in 1997 and in 2003 I moved up here fulltime to begin my first company, Pacific Northwest Log Homes LLC.

My life as a builder began then and I started my first interactions with the Department of Community Development as we built our first house with the help of many of our local trades people. I began serving our community in 2004 as a member of the North Peninsula Building Association (NPBA), where I have served twice as the President of the Association. As I built homes in our area with my new partner Dave Clawson, I continually worked with the planning department and building department on a regular basis and am well versed on the many differing facets of what it takes to successfully build a home in Clallam County. I started The DC Margene Company, a development company in 2007, and a few years later Dave was joined by his son Danny to continue their company while I started Kevin Russell Construction in 2013. I have built and or remodeled a number of homes, offices and medical facilities since. From the first steps of site development (Which Involves the Planning Department) to the submittal of plans for review and issuance of a building permit (Which is the Building Department) to the eventual issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy I have enjoyed a great working relationship with the DCD Staff.

Another opportunity I have had that will serve me as your director is my time as a senior officer and eventual president of the Building Industry Association of Washington, Our State’s leading trade organization with over 8000 member companies. We have dealt with any and all issues that arise from building matters , financial matters, legal matters etc., and I can bring that experience to the department.

This experience will allow me to easily understand what you, our community members, are feeling when you come in to start the process. If elected I want to have a quarterly open meeting for anyone that wants to know how to go about the process of starting your dreams. I will answer the questions that will provide you with the info necessary to realize those dreams! We all need to explore the avenues of affordable attainable housing for all.

To address our code enforcement needs I will use my years of experience as a Deputy Sheriff in Los Angeles County. That time gives me the tools to best understand how to partner with our code enforcement officers, with the Sheriff’s Department, the Health Department, the Prosecuting Attorney, and all of our other agencies to bring a quick resolution to the problems that seem to plague our beautiful surroundings. I have walked the walk and talked the talk by providing the assistance that our code enforcement officers in Los Angeles needed in their jobs and I am ready to do the same here. We have a lot of work ahead of us but I enjoy a challenge, especially one that I would like to involve our entire community in!

Clallam County is for all of us and we can all join in and work together for a common goal, the goal of safe and secure lands to enjoy.

In addition to my knowledge in building and planning matters and my law enforcement training and experience to utilize in code enforcement, I have other experiences that directly correlate to the duties of the Director of Community Development.

The department has a staff of 23 hardworking dedicated members and an annual budget of approximately 2.8 million dollars. I have been fortunate to have worked in both retail businesses (with a focus in Customer Service) and Corporate America where I had 4 offices , a management team and a large staff and managed a budget in the Millions of dollars. I understand the responsibility of managing a team and I say that I don’t have anyone that works for me rather I have team members that I work with. I appreciate the hard work people do in their jobs and my role as director is to support them and offer guidance and direction when needed. My experience with budget management and having to prepare an annual budget gives me the skillset to watch over the funds allocated to run the department.

Establishing working partnerships with our elected representatives is paramount to our community and its future. In 2004 I started a great working relationship with then Clallam County Commissioners Steve Tharinger and Mike Chapman, now 24th District State Representatives which continues to this day. I also have enjoyed and appreciate the same great working relationship with Senator Kevin Van de Wege, as all of us collectively fight together on the many other issues that impact the ability to provide housing for our community. If elected I have some ideas that I look forward to presenting to our Commissioners and our Senator and our Members of the House for our community and ways to improve it.

My wife and I are finishing our retirement home and we are looking forward to our retirement here in Clallam County where we enjoy the outdoors, the community and all of the diverse people that call Clallam County home!

Please consider joining me in my quest to serve you all, Your Vote is earned , not given.