A new finance director and HR manager has joined Birch Bay Water and Sewer District (BBWSD).
Heather Sytsma joined the district on April 1 after spending the past 23 years at the city of Lynden, where she most recently worked as office manager of the public works department.
“I was looking for something more utility focused and less tax based or rate based,” Sytsma said. “A more predictable and stable budget.”
Sytsma earned a degree in general studies with a minor in mathematics from Western Washington University. She worked as a bank teller at North Coast Credit Union prior to her job at the city of Lynden, where she also worked in accounts payable and as the senior administrative assistant in the public works department. Her biggest accomplishment as office manager was getting a more streamlined approach to receiving state funding, she said.
Sytsma said she was excited to be involved in the early stages of a proposed sewer bypass project that would move sewer lines on Birch Bay Drive that are increasingly inundated with flood water.
Outside of work, Sytsma enjoys camping, hiking and reading.
