‘Good to be home’: Johnson is first woman to be Snohomish County sheriff

EVERETT — Her election campaign felt like the “longest job interview” to Susanna Johnson.

But now the first woman to serve as sheriff in Snohomish County really knows who she works for, she said at her swearing-in ceremony Tuesday.

“It did give me an opportunity to meet with literally more than a thousand people communicating as to what you need, what you want, and what you’re looking for,” Johnson said in a speech to about 300 people at the PUD Auditorium in Everett.

Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Patrick Moriarty swore in Johnson as the 33rd sheriff of Snohomish County. The crowd greeted her with a standing ovation. Over a dozen of Johnson’s command staff appointees were sworn in, too.

In November, she defeated incumbent Sheriff Adam Fortney in a tight, contentious and expensive race, 51.5% to 48.4%. On Tuesday, she called her new role “the honor of my lifetime.”

As Johnson completed her oath, sheriff’s office Sgt. Chris Marino rang a silver bell behind her in a ceremonial welcome that represents a change of command.

Johnson has three decades of law enforcement experience. She had served as Bothell’s deputy police chief since 2021. Before that, she worked for the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office for 30 years, where she served as a patrol deputy, K-9 handler, SWAT squad leader, lieutenant, captain and bureau chief.

Johnson will oversee the office’s 800-plus employees.

“It’s good to be home,” Johnson said.

Johnson largely ran on a platform of restoring community trust with law enforcement.

“For all of you that either live, work, educate or play in this county, we want to feel safe. We want to be able to thrive with our families,” Johnson said. “We do expect accountability. That accountability is not only for those who commit crimes against us, but also those who are trusted to enforce the laws. That’s really important because trust is the key.”

Attendee Kathy Purviance-Snow, a civics teachers at Snohomish High School, was excited to have a sheriff who she believes will be a good role model.

“We had a former sheriff who I believe was out of his depth in terms of policing,” Purviance-Snow said. “Susy Johnson impressed me as someone who knew what community-based policing was all about. She wanted to serve the community, and she had a plan.”

Last month, Fortney announced on Facebook that he did not plan to meet with his successor ahead of his term expiring, but that he will continue in the sheriff’s office as a patrol sergeant.

In her speech, Johnson said she wanted to acknowledge the hard work of the outgoing administration.

“You’ve all showed up every day despite very difficult times,” she said. “… We all thank you for that. You’ve kept the machine running.”

Despite a campaign highly critical of the past administration, Johnson does not plan a total overhaul of sheriff’s office leadership. As she decided who to hire, Johnson preferred candidates with a long relationship with the sheriff’s office.

In fact, all 15 of her appointees were internal hires:

• Douglas Jeske, undersheriff, who oversaw the Major Crimes, General and Special Investigations units under Fortney.

• Michael Martin, operations bureau chief;

• Rob Martin, special operations bureau chief;

• Clint Korhonen, administrative services bureau chief;

• Alonzo Downing, corrections bureau chief;

• David Hall, corrections major;

• Jill Iversen, administrative assistant;

• Courtney O’Keefe, director of communications;

• Karla Beers, finance manager;

• Robert Ogawa, corrections detention captain;

• Roxanne Marler, corrections special operations captain;

• Amanda Ray, health services administrator;

• Jessica Payne, staff services manager;

• Jay Baines, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force commander;

• Bill Quistorf, chief pilot.

Michael Martin worked in the sheriff’s office alongside Johnson for over 25 years, most recently as a captain in the North Precinct.

“I’ve always admired and respected her, she has great vision,” he said. “She is a leader who always thinks three steps ahead before making a decision, which I really appreciate and value. I’m looking forward to working hard for her.”

The challenges of law enforcement have evolved over the decades, Johnson said.

“But what stays true is a person’s character,” Johnson said. “When you get to work alongside them, you see them on their best days and their worst days. You see not only their individual resilience, but their ability to put the needs of the community and others before themselves. When you work with them for a long time, you know who possesses those things.”

Johnson called herself a “place keeper at the sheriff’s office.”

“So it’s very important to me that I sit there with honor, and mind my oath and listen to my community,” Johnson said. “I’m sure I’ll make mistakes. But when I do, I’ll be transparent about it and learn from it and move on. I’ll try my best.”

Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Bill Quistorf’s last name.

Maya Tizon: 425-339-3434; maya.tizon@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @mayatizon.