Thurston County hires investigator to look into road workers’ claim of toxic leadership
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Thurston County road worker concerns
Current and former Thurston County road workers publicly accused management of creating a toxic work environment and failing to address their concerns in 2025.
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Thurston County has agreed to pay a third-party contractor up to $12,000 to investigate claims of toxic leadership within its Public Works Roads Operations Division.
The county’s Human Resources department contracted with D Diamond Consulting, a Seattle-based firm, after current and former employees went public with their concerns about Road Operations Manager Mike Lowman and Supervisor Nick Bemis.
The Road Operations Division is responsible for maintaining the safety and reliability of Thurston County’s roadways, which span over 1,000 miles. The Olympian published an article on Feb. 9 that detailed workers’ allegations of a toxic work environment and discrimination. Current and former workers have said the situation has driven out experienced workers and led to critical vacancies.
On Feb. 10, Public Works Director Karen Weiss directly acknowledged the article in an email to staff and said HR was initiating an investigation with an outside firm to “ensure all voices in the matter can be heard.”
“I want to take this opportunity to state definitively that Public Works leadership is committed to maintaining a positive and healthy work environment for staff,” Weiss said in the email. “The county and Public Works take seriously any complaints brought forward.”
Soon after the email was sent, The Olympian asked the county to disclose the name of the firm and the cost of their contract. Clerk of the Board Amy Davis identified Diamond Consulting on Monday.
“We selected them after reviewing contractors who have agreements with the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES),” Davis shared in an emailed statement. “The contract has a not-to-exceed value of $12,000.”
The firm is working directly with HR and will produce an investigation report. Davis said the contract does not have a pre-set completion date.
“When the investigation is complete, Thurston County will assess the results of the report,” Davis said.
Weiss, who was promoted into her current role in January, advised employees to remain focused on their work in her Feb. 10 email.
“It can be easy to get distracted from our work within the backdrop of these complaints,” Weiss said. “However, at Public Works our mission remains clear: To provide excellent public services in all areas of our business.
“To achieve this requires focus and attention to our work. This is critical for the safety and health of both you and your co-workers.”
Weiss also reminded employees to adhere to Public Works’ Professional Standards and Workplace Expectations, a document that staff are required to sign.
Among other expectations, the document asks staff to communicate constructively in a “positive and respectful manner” and to not participate in “triangulation and gossip.”
The union that represents the road workers, the Washington State Council of County and City Employees AFSCME Council 2, is already working to advocate for their members, said president and executive director Michael Rainey.
The union held a “well-attended” membership meeting on Feb. 26, he said. Based on what he heard from members, Rainey said management seems to not care about how their decisions affect employees and their capacity to serve the public.
“They all voted unanimously to empower union leadership to take action to hold county leadership accountable for the problems of poor management that have led to low morale, high employee turnover and impacted the ability to provide services to the public,” Rainey said.
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 12:59 PM.
