OLYMPIA – The director of the Washington Department of Revenue on Thursday announced her resignation to return to working for the private sector.
Carol K. Nelson, who is a former chief executive of Everett-based Cascade Bank and who lives in Edmonds, will join KeyBank as Seattle market president and Pacific region sales executive.
“I am extremely proud of the progress the agency has made during my tenure in its efforts to increase customer service and operational efficiency, enhance transparency, and promote fair and consistent tax policy,” Nelson said in a statement.
Gov. Jay Inslee, who appointed Nelson as the head of Revenue in 2013, praised her tenure.
“Carol ushered in remarkable new improvements at our Department of Revenue that are helping the agency serve its customers faster and more efficiently,” Inslee said in the statement. “I have been so proud of the accomplishments she and the entire DOR team have achieved these past two years.”
Nelson helped oversee the agency as it introduced live chat to quickly answer taxpayer questions; developed an online process for taxpayers to amend their returns; and returned more than $120 million in unclaimed property. The agency also received several national and international awards for projects and initativers.
At Key Bank, Nelson will be tapped to drive revenue and growth within the commercial and private banking businesses. She will also be asked to champion employee engagement and drive collaboration and coordination among bank departments and markets.
She’s spent 34 years in the banking industry. She helped transform Cascade Bank from a savings bank to a community bank serving businesses, commercial real estate builders and developers and consumers.
After the California-based Opus Bank acquired Cascade Bank, Nelson became president of Opus Bank’s Washington operations. She left that job in 2012.
She is to join KeyBank on Jan. 20
Revenue’s deputy director Vikki Smith will serve as the acting director through the legislative session.
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