Palmer New Newport City Administrator

Delphine Palmer will become the second city administrator in Newport’s history on March 24.

Palmer will replace Jack Henderson, who retired Dec. 31 after 16 years.

The City Council unanimously confirmed Mayor Kevin Murphy’s selection of Palmer on Tuesday. A committee of city officials and civic leaders recommended Palmer after interviewing three finalists among 18 applicants.

Palmer has been director of contract services for the Bonner County School District in Idaho since August. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Hawaii, and has held a variety of personnel and contract management jobs for 17 years.

Past employers include Spokane School District 81, Fidelity Mutual Savings Bank, Gifford Hill & Co. and the Snohomish County Public Utility District.

Palmer also was Washington Water Power Co.’s manager of employment, affirmative action and equal-opportunity programs for nine years. She resigned in 1992 to open a management consulting firm and write a book on how to develop and implement affirmative action plans.

Her salary as city administrator hasn’t been set, but will be between $37,800 and $46,250 a year.

, DataTimes