HomeMy WebLinkAbout111425 City of Port Townsend Hires Austin Watkins as City Attorney
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Friday, November 14, 2025 John Mauro, City Manager
360.379.5043 jmauro@cityofpt.us
CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND HIRES AUSTIN WATKINS AS CITY ATTORNEY
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PORT TOWNSEND
Watkins is an attorney with experience in municipal, environmental, and land use matters and
has a strong connection to the Port Townsend community. From 2018 to 2021, Watkins lived
and practiced law in Port Townsend, serving Jefferson County as their Planning Manager and a
Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. In these roles, he advised the County on land use,
environmental public health, public safety, and general municipal matters.
Currently, Watkins serves as Senior Counsel (Land Use and Installations) at the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment) in the Pentagon, where he
advises senior leadership on land use, real estate, and installation matters across Navy and
Marine Corps installations worldwide. His other prior roles include Program Counsel for the
Watkins holds a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, an LL.M. (Masters of
Law) in Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law from Lewis and Clark Law School,
and a B.A. and M.P.A. from the University of Central Florida. He is a member of the
Washington, Virginia, and District of Columbia bars.
experience in Jefferson County, the initiatives the City is undertaking, and wanting to return
For the past 18 months, the City has been working with Seattle-based law firm Kenyon Disend
on contract, with Alexandra Kenyon appointed as City Attorney. Prior to Kenyon, Heidi
Greenwood was City Attorney from 2018 to early 2024. Watkins will manage a team of two full-
time staff, including the City Clerk and Legal Assistant. His work will span everything from
handling insurance to drafting resolutions and ordinances, from assessing land use plans and
legals risks to reviewing or drafting contracts, and to being on-hand for every City Council
meeting.
impressive professional acumen, intelligence, and drive to join our organization in this
critical leadership role.
added to an immediate recognition that his hire would be a tremendous benefit for the City
Mauro also services to the City and plans to
continue to utilize them for additional legal support as neededAlexandra Kenyon
Kenyon Disend team for their work, and appreciative that we can continue to call on them for
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