City program manager takes new position

After more than three years as the program manager for the City’s Public Works Department, Troy Rayburn left Sisters as of September 30 for a position as city administrator in White Salmon, Washington.

Rayburn grew up in The Dalles, and has family in Hood River, so he will be returning to his home turf in the Columbia Gorge. While in college, he served as a summer intern for the city manager in The Dalles, which influenced his educational choices. He graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in business and political science. He later received his master’s in public administration from the University of Oregon. Working in Hood River for a year in an intern program after school was the real catalyst for his work in the public sector.

After working in Redmond city government, Rayburn came to Sisters and had planned on being here until he retired. But several events coincided to make the move to White Salmon appropriate. They had reached out to him, and then a member of his family suffered a life-changing medical emergency, and he was needed in Hood River.So he accepted the White Salmon position to be able to assist his mother and sister in Hood River in dealing with the medical needs of a family member.

According to Rayburn, White Salmon is just a little smaller population than Sisters but with a different demographic. Most of the people moving there are in their 40s. The cost of housing is similar to Sisters, with people moving in from Portland, Seattle, and the Bay Area.

His appreciation for the Sisters City staff came through in his comments.

“I feel very fortunate to have worked with the Sisters City staff and the appointed and elected citizens on the boards and commissions,” he said. “The staff are all wonderful people who really care and work very hard. They want the best for the people of Sisters… In all my jobs in both the public and private sector, the Sisters staff are some of the best I’ve ever worked with.”

Public Works Director Paul Bertagna was particularly singled out when Rayburn said, “It was so nice to have a supervisor who cares so much about the city where he lives and works.”

Rayburn will start his new job on October 24. He will be managing a staff of 14 people. He plans to live in White Salmon, because he “thinks that is the right thing to do.”

Jackson Dumanch, who has worked for the Public Works Department for the past two-and-a-half years, will replace Rayburn as the project coordinator/program manager. He has spent the last two weeks onboarding alongside Rayburn.