Secretary Wyman and the whole Office of Secretary of State are saying farewell to Assistant Secretary Ken Raske and welcoming his successor, Mark Neary, and Greg Lane, Neary’s successor as Deputy Secretary.

Raske has a long history of working with Secretary Wyman, dating back to more than a decade in county government when Wyman was Thurston County Auditor. When Wyman was elected Secretary in 2012, her first personnel announcement was Raske as her top lieutenant.  But earlier this year, Raske announced that he would retire at year’s end.  Wyman then decided to fill his vacancy with Neary, whom she had also known in Thurston County government.

Lane, the immediate past president of TVW and a former top official in the Attorney General’s Office and in the House communications office, was her pick to move into the Neary post. Neary and Lane were sworn in by Wyman Thursday. Lane said he was “absolutely thrilled to be here, just honored to be here.  We’re going to do great things.”

Under state law, they are deputized to act on her behalf in her absence and to sign official state documents, such as governor’s emergency proclamations.

Staff later honored Raske at a famous OSOS potluck.