Thurston County Commissioner Emily Clouse was temporarily removed from all appointed boards and commissions Tuesday following an executive session of the Board of Thurston County Commissioners.
According to a motion by Commissioner Carolina Mejia and seconded by Commissioner Wayne Fournier, alternates will temporarily fill the positions “until an investigation is complete.” The commissioners do not specify what the focus of the investigation would be.
Clouse, who was present at Tuesday’s meeting before the executive session, did not retake her seat when the commissioners returned approximately 35 minutes later.
Clouse and Thurston County Manager Leonard Hernandez did not respond to requests for comment prior to The Chronicle’s print deadline Wednesday.
According to the state law cited by Fournier, the executive session was held “to receive and evaluate complaints or charges brought against a public officer or employee.”
“We scheduled this as an executive session due to the sensitive nature of the topic,” Fournier said.
According to a county biography of the commissioner, Clouse’s appointments include the animal services committee, the disability board, the emergency food and shelter program, the law and justice council, ORCAA, the regional housing council, the Thurston Climate Mitigation Collaborative Executive Committee and the Thurston-Mason Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization.
Clouse also serves as the vice chair of the Regional Housing Council and is a member of the Board of Health.
According to her Thurston County biography, Clouse graduated from the University of Washington Tacoma) with a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in global engagement.
A Democrat, Clouse was elected to the Thurston County Board of Commissioners with 59.9% of the vote during the 2023 election. Clouse was sworn in during a November 2023 commissioners meeting.
