Bob Liston

The meeting convened briefly with an Executive Session held for the purpose of conducting interviews for the Chief Administrative Officer position. No formal actions were taken during the Executive Session. Following the Executive Session, there was no public comment, and the meeting was adjourned.

Key discussions included approval for sending representatives to the IAIABC Forum in South Carolina and the September convention. A hiring exception was approved to backfill two positions upon retirement or resignation. Management updates covered a hearing run change scheduled for February, progress on resolving a memory issue with laptops via a Windows patch, status of recruitments (LA2 and LA3), finalization of Chief Administrative Officer interview questions, and updates on fiscal notes and legislative bills. A guest commented on scheduler stress regarding the upcoming run change and confirmed their planned retirement.

Key discussion items included the approval of a hiring exception request to backfill a retiring position, confirmation of a twice-a-month schedule preference based on a staff poll, and setting December 11, 2026, for the All Staff Meeting, with recognition to be discussed later. The 2026 Operational Plan was approved. Management provided updates on CAO interviews, the employee survey, legal matters including rulemaking, and staffing changes scheduled for February 2. Public comments addressed concerns regarding the synchronization of hearing run changes, scheduling unit morale, and clarity on documenting survey results and Hanford case data for the Board. A special meeting was scheduled for January 22, solely for executive session interviews for the Chief Administrator Officer position. New Industrial Appeals Judges were welcomed.

The meeting included an executive session to discuss the performance of a public employee, which concluded without any voted actions. Key management updates covered the FA5 recruitment, Chief Administrative Officer recruitment, and the downsizing of the Olympia office. There were discussions regarding an employee taking a non-permanent leave of absence, an employee donation of leave to another, and scheduling the discussion of morning chat meeting minutes for a future session. Public comments addressed the nature of information shared at non-mandatory meetings, the status of new laptops and a BAMS consultant, and office access procedures.

The meeting, called to order by Holly, included an Executive Session for Chief Administrative Officer Interviews. The agenda also contained a Public Comment segment.