Gov. Jay Inslee today named Dominga Soliz director of the Environmental and Land Use Hearings Office. She replaces Nina Carter, who is retiring.
Soliz is currently a legal case manager for the Department of Enterprise Services, Office of Risk Management where she manages a caseload of more than 600 claims and lawsuits. She has also worked at the Department of Corrections as a hearings unit administrator, violations project lead and risk mitigation manager. She began her career as a policy and planning specialist with the state Recreation and Conservation Office.
"Dominga is a great fit for this role. She has extensive experience in state government including environmental boards, program administration, legal analysis and establishing more inclusive work environments. I look forward to working with her and know that she will build on the strong work done by Nina and ELUHO staff.
"I thank Nina for all her work to help make some of the strongest land use policies in the nation which have resulted in great benefit to our environment. Nina is a stalwart champion against climate change and her legacy will be felt for generations in Washington."
"I am honored to serve Washingtonians as ELUHO’s next executive director and I am excited to join the team of hearings boards tackling the many legal challenges presented to them. At a time with increased pressure on environmental resources, communities and economies, ELUHO's role is more important than ever. I look forward to working with those impacted by board decisions and supporting the boards in making fair and balanced decisions," Soliz said.
Soliz earned her law degree from the University of California, Davis and her bachelor's degree from the Evergreen State College.
Neil Wise, chair of the Pollution Control Hearings Board be acting director until Soliz begins her appointment on November 1.