Los Alamos County Public Information Officer Julie Williams-Hill in her office on Tuesday, is set to retire this Friday following 24 years of service to the County and community. Photo by Carol A. Clarkladailypost.com/
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com
Following 24 years of service, Los Alamos County Public Information Officer (PIO) Julie Williams-Hill will retire on Friday, Jan. 13.
“I am deeply thankful to Los Alamos County and the community for a rewarding 24-year career,” Williams-Hill told the Los Alamos Daily Post. “It has been a privilege to work in such a beautiful place and alongside so many wonderful, dedicated people. I leave with lasting friendships and full confidence that Dave Krueger will elevate the County’s communication and engagement to the next level.”
Krueger served as PIO for Valles Caldera National Preserve before being selected in January to replace Williams-Hill.
The County PIO reports directly to County Manager Anne Laurent, who commended Williams-Hill on her two-and-a-half decades of dedicated service.
“Julie is such an amazing employee and friend. She is open minded, down to earth, productive and willing to do whatever is necessary to support her team and the organization with competency, friendliness and a sense of humor,” Laurent said. “I am so lucky to know and work with Julie and cannot thank her enough.”
Before stepping into her role as PIO for Los Alamos County in 2021, Williams-Hill worked for 19 years as PIO for the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU). She first worked for former DPU Manager Chris Ortega, who passed away in September. She then spent some 15 years working for former DPU Manager John Arrowsmith.
“Julie’s outgoing personality and ability to research problems and opportunities made her a key member of the Department’s leadership team,” Arrowsmith said. “I appreciated Julie’s ability to see things from the customer’s perspective; identifying what customers want and need and then working with our staff to get that information out. She would not hesitate to advocate for changes in Department operations when needed to better serve our customers. Some of her notable achievements include navigating the FEMA process to help us rebuild our facilities after the Cerro Grande Fire, identifying and pursuing the opportunity to participate with the government of Japan in a solar research project that resulted in a $50 million Japanese investment in Los Alamos County and obtaining a $9 million grant to construct the County’s low flow hydro-electric unit at the Abiquiu dam.”
Williams-Hill officially started at the County in June 2002, and described the job as anything but normal … but also very rewarding. Williams-Hill added that she appreciates the community she has served all these years, saying that she has met a lot of wonderful people who she relied on to let her know if there was something more the County could or should be doing.
Los Alamos County Councilor Theresa Cull served most recently as Council chair. She spoke about Williams-Hill, saying, “Julie will be missed. Although I haven’t worked with her very much in person during my years on Council, she leaves her mark in many areas. From proclamations to press releases, Julie has provided timely information that Council and the community rely on to celebrate events and stay informed. Most recently, Julie helped me pull together the annual State of the County report by gathering information from County departments. This is no small task, and she made it a much better report because of her knowledge and experience. I will miss Julie, but I wish her well in her much-deserved retirement!”
Williams-Hill and her husband have three grown children. She said that she and her husband plan to continue living in the area following her retirement.