State Rep. Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum.
OLYMPIA, June 8.—Bill Hinkle, the House Republican minority whip who will be standing down in this year’s election, is going to the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound.
The not-for-profit association, with more than 4,700 members, announced Hinkle’s appointment as executive director with a news release Thursday. And so ends months of speculation about Hinkle’s next perch. Hinkle has been one of the more prominent members of the House Republican Caucus, always to be counted upon for a fiery speech, reflecting free-market principles, whenever one of the core issues comes to the floor. He’s retiring, yes, but only in one sense of the word.
Hinkle last year announced that his current term would be his last. Initially he announced that he would run for Kittitas County Commissioner, where he served before running for Legislature in 2002. But Hinkle decided in short order that he would seek full-time employment in the private sector instead.
In a final session newsletter, Hinkle said, “Since 2002, we have worked together to address problems. Along the way, I have appreciated you sharing your concerns, ideas and solutions. Our partnership has made our communities a better place to live, work and raise a family. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, and you have always been the best part of this job I’ve held over the last 10 years. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say ‘thank you’ and ‘farewell.’”
The news release from the Rental Housing Association follows:
The Rental Housing Association welcomes new Executive Director, Bill Hinkle. Mr Hinkle previously served as Minority Whip in the State House of Representatives and is retiring from the Legislature after 10 years of public service. While serving in the House, Bill has also been a business consultant in the Real Estate and Development industry providing him with the kind of understanding of the industry and leadership skills critical for this new post.
Bill is a Tacoma native and a graduate of the University of Washington paramedic program. He lives near Cle Elum with his wife and two children. “RHA offers me an exciting opportunity to use my skill set in a very important industry, providing homes for people in Washington State.” Bill is working at RHA’s new location at 2414 SW Andover, in West Seattle.
RHA is a not-for-profit association of rental housing owners and service providers, and offers a full list of services for members including tenant screening, education and events, legal forms and networking opportunities. For more information, visit www.rha-ps.com.
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