The City of Sequim has a new Public Works Director, and he’s coming from Alaska with more than a decade of transportation leadership under his belt.

Christopher Goins, a former regional director for the Alaska Department of Transportation, started June 8 and was introduced to the City Council that evening. Goins told councilors he made a “major life decision” to move to Sequim, saying his family fell in love with the area during a visit last summer.

Goins wasn’t actively job?hunting, but when Sequim’s opening appeared, he said he wondered whether “the stars [were] aligning.”

He replaces Paul Bucich, who retired June 12 after two years with the city. Bucich spent his final week helping Goins get up to speed.

City Manager Matt Huish says Goins rose to the top of a pool of more than 40 applicants and was the unanimous choice of staff interview committees.

In a statement, Huish praised Goins’ experience and his “strong culture of staff development, individual ownership, and team accountability.”

Goins spent 11 years with Alaska DOT, most recently overseeing highways, airports, and ferry terminals as Southcoast Region Director. He’s also held engineering and construction leadership roles and has been quoted in Alaska media on high?profile issues, including the delayed Cascade Point ferry terminal project and regional flood response.

He told councilors his former job had become “exceptionally political” and made being a “family guy” difficult — another reason Sequim appealed to him. What stood out most, he said, was how people here “take care of one another.”

In a city press release, Goins said his goal is to build trust by listening first and working alongside employees, residents, tribes, businesses, and community partners “to help Sequim thrive.”

Before his Alaska tenure, Goins worked as an engineer for the City of Albany, Oregon. He holds a civil engineering degree from Oregon State University and has completed national executive?leadership programs focused on transportation agencies.

PHOTO: City of Sequim