About WAPRO

There are approximately 2200 local governments and numerous state agencies in Washington State. The Public Records Act mandates that every government entity have a public records officer. The goal of the Washington Association of Public Records Officers (WAPRO) is to harness the collective knowledge and talent of these public records officers to increase transparency and Public Records Act compliance through standardized education. Conventional wisdom says “many hands make light work” and “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” With 2200 pairs of hands working together, WAPRO will help make light work of PRA compliance. And by participating in WAPRO, a small investment from each local and state agency in WAPRO will help buy a lot of prevention. WAPRO will increase transparency and better PRA compliance by increasing the availability of standardized Public Records Act education. WAPRO will also serve as a forum where Public Records Officers and others who are part of an agency's PRA compliance program can share ideas, spot trends and share best practices. Finally, WAPRO will help agencies evaluate software solutions such as tracking software and archiving tools that can ultimately make agencies more transparent for less money.

Board Postion Descriptions

WAPRO Board of Directors

Kelli Williams, President (King County)
Woody Edvalson, Past President (City of Bonney Lake)
Kyle Stannert, President-Elect (City of Bellevue)
Ramsey Ramerman, Vice President (City of Everett)
Amy Cleveland, Secretary (City of Olympia)
Cynthia Hernandez, Treasurer (King County)
Terri Cole, Director (Benton Public Utility District)
Ramona Roberts, Director (Washington State Health Care Authority)
Janet Keefe, Director (Snohomish PUD)
Carol Etgen, Director (City of Fife)
Tara Ramos, Director (Grays Harbor Public Utility District)

What Does the Future Hold for WAPRO?

The ultimate goal of WAPRO is to promote a culture of transparency in Washington governments through education of its public records practitioners. The Association pursues this goal by:

  • Hosting training events in 2013:
    • Teleconferences such as "WAPRO's Winter Update Teleconference" – anticipated to be held in January 2013
    • Spring Training - April 2013 - stay tuned for more info
    • Annual Business Meeting & Fall Training - October 2013 - stay tuned for more info
  • Publishing quarterly newsletters to provide updates on new developments in the law;
  • Providing a common voice to address legislative issues;
  • Monitoring Public Records Act litigation statewide;
  • Offering sample forms, policies, response letters, tracking systems; and
  • Providing on-line resources and standardized training programs

Contact WAPRO

You can contact WAPRO at wapro@mrsc.org