CAMAS — Nina Regor, Camas’ new city administrator, has come home.
After stints in Gresham, Ore., Spokane Valley and Cloverdale, Calif., Camas’ top administrator has returned to the area where she was born.
“There are just some parts of the world that really draw people in,” Regor said.
For the Vancouver-born Regor, the Pacific Northwest beckoned her back, with a little help from a new job.
Her first week as Camas’ city administrator has been a whirlwind of activity, she said. Boxes and unread papers have stacked up in her office as she’s hustled from one meeting to another.
Regor takes the reins from the city’s first and only city administrator, Lloyd Halverson, who announced his retirement last year.
Halverson held the position for 23 years as Camas progressed from a traditional Northwest mill town to an integral player in the metro area’s Silicon Forest.
As employment at the paper mill declined, computer chip manufacturer WaferTech became one of Clark County’s largest employers, with more than 1,000 workers. In recent days, rumors have swirled that WaferTech’s parent company, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., may be eyeing the city for further expansion.
Economic development will remain a goal moving forward, Regor said.
Camas Mayor Scott Higgins said he’s excited to have Regor on board.
After Camas’ search for a new administrator stalled last summer, the city found the right fit in Regor, Higgins said. The city announced her hiring in December.
“Nina Regor has the experience, skills and character needed to lead the Camas team as we meet the challenges and opportunities which lie ahead,” Higgins said.
No homecoming would be complete without family. Regor’s mother, who graduated from Camas High School, has lived with her for the past 20 years.
The two maintain ties to the community, Regor said.
She has no plans to shake up the status quo. For now, Regor said, she will listen to what community partners want before formulating her own goals for the city.
“I don’t usually walk into a job and say, ‘Here are my goals,'” Regor said. “My goals right now are more to provide professional management.”
Tyler Graf: 360-735-4517; http://twitter.com/col_smallcities; tyler.graf@columbian.com.
