Governor Transition Brief 2024
General Information
Communication
Authorizing Statute
Allyson Brooks Ph.D. (she/her)
State Historic Preservation Officer/Executive Director
Contact Info: (360) 480-6922 or Allyson.Brooks@dahp.wa.gov
With over 25 years of executive management, mediation, and data analytics experience, Dr. Brooks has been the State Historic Preservation Officer since 1999 and became the State Historic Preservation Officer/Executive Director of the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) when the agency was split off from Community Trade and Economic Development (now Dept. of Commerce.) DAHP is the primary agency that protects and promotes Washington State's cultural heritage. Dr. Brooks serves as the Governor's primary adviser and policy expert on all issues related to the state's cultural resources and represents the Governor and DAHP to various stakeholders, including state legislators, the Congressional delegation, government agencies, developers, community groups, the public, and tribal representatives.
Dr. Brooks has successfully written and advocated for several pieces of legislation that safeguard and enhance the state's heritage and environment, such as creating the first Pacific Northwest national heritage area, transforming the state's Main Street program, repatriating the Ancient One, and implementing a multi-million-dollar GIS project. She has also earned national recognition and awards for leadership and contributions to various projects and initiatives. She is passionate about civic engagement, education, and climate action, and serves as co-Chair elect for the Government Affairs Committee of the Society for American Archaeology, a member of the International Climate Heritage Network, and a board member of several non-profit organizations.
Morgan McLemore (she/her)
Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
Contact Info: (360) 972-4007 or Morgan.McLemore@dahp.wa.gov
Morgan McLemore is the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer (DSHPO)/Executive Deputy Director of the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) with over 20 years serving the residents of Washington State, where she manages the agency's information technology portfolio as well as the State's central repository responsible for distributing cultural resource data to thousands of public, tribal, local, state and federal stakeholders. In the absence of the agency Director, Morgan performs all State Historic Preservation Officer duties including, but not limited to, managing the DAHP and functioning as the Acting State Historic Preservation Officer for state and federal administrative purposes under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and other pertinent federal and state statutes.
Morgan is committed to serving others, contributing to society, growing her expertise, and learning new skills. Morgan has a master's degree in IT Management from Western Governors University, a graduate certificate from the University of Southern California in Geographic Information Systems and Technology, two bachelor's degrees from Washington State University, a certificate in Project Management from the University of Washington and is a PADI certified Dive Master. Morgan's longevity allows her to quickly grasp the business needs of frontline workers, back-of-house systems, policy development, policy-level decision impacts, and enterprise strategic alignment and determine how beneficial it is to an organization (and its stakeholders) to leverage innovative, creative technology solutions to solve problems.
Morgan provides a unique perspective and advocates for small agency technology needs, where she continually looks to technology to bridge the gap between limited resources and significant state and federal regulatory obligations and timeframes. Morgan is a candid spokesperson for the distinctive and challenging needs of the State's small agencies, boards, and commissions, which has helped guide policy and strategic planning efforts at the statewide level.
