Oak Harbor Loses Two Department Heads in Leadership Shakeup

Oak Harbor Mayor Ronnie Wright told the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission on March 9 that the city needed to "handle things differently and take this department in a different direction." Three weeks later, Parks and Recreation Director Brian Smith was out of a job, and so was Human Resources Director Emma House.

The city announced both departures on March 30. Smith's exit was described as a mutual agreement to conclude the employment relationship; he had been hired in 2022 when the city created the Parks director position. House's departure was announced the same day a public records request for documents related to her separation was filed.

City Administrator Sabrina Combs will take over as interim Parks director, working alongside Parks Supervisor Brandon Cable, Recreation Manager Liz Lange, and Recreation Coordinator Craig Lamas-Cole on day-to-day operations while the city searches for a permanent replacement.

For human resources, Oak Harbor engaged Amber Richards, a principal strategist at High Ground Strategic Services, an Indiana-based firm, to provide interim leadership and support to the HR team.

The city described Smith's four-year tenure as a period of "significant progress in establishing and developing its Parks and Recreation Department," framing the change as a pivot toward long-term planning and programs better aligned with community needs. Wright said he is working with the executive team and City Council to maintain open communication about both transitions, and that his goal is to listen to the community and provide meaningful opportunities for input.

Details about the financial terms of either departure remain unknown. Public records requests related to Smith's separation were filed on March 17, with a follow-up request for House's records submitted on March 30; neither had been released. Oak Harbor has a documented history of costly severance agreements when city administrators have departed, making those documents likely to draw scrutiny once they surface.