Kosa becomes first woman to serve as director of Whatcom County Public Works

Elizabeth Kosa recently stepped into her role as the first female director of Whatcom County Public Works.

A Snohomish native, Kosa graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and served as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve for over a decade. She then became port engineer for Horizon Lines in Tacoma and then worked nearly a decade at Washington State Ferries, first as a senior port engineer and then chief of staff, where she oversaw 1,600 employees and a $450 million budget.

In 2019, Kosa left the state ferries to become a special programs and asset manager at Whatcom County Public Works, working her way to become assistant director and then interim director last November. Whatcom County Council approved county executive Satpal Sidhu’s appointment of Kosa in April. Her appointment means all county public works directors along I-5 from Snohomish to Whatcom are women.

Kosa sat down with The Northern Light to discuss her experience in a male-dominated field and her biggest priorities for the next year. This interview was edited for brevity and clarity. How does it feel to be the first woman to serve as Whatcom County’s public works director?

(See Kosa, page 10)

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