City announces Youth Services Director hire

The City of San Marcos announced the hiring of Youth Services Director Dana Washington through an agreement with Community Action, Inc. 

Washington’s role in the position is to lead a collaborative effort to improve the lives of San Marcos youth, the city said in a press release. She is responsible for implementing the Youth Master Plan and collaborating with the San Marcos Commission on Children and Youth and the San Marcos Youth Commission board. The city’s Youth Master Plan was adopted in 2013 and aims to leverage “the ideas, resources and commitments of a community to improve conditions and outcomes for children and youth.”

“The establishment of this position marks an exciting point of forward motion for San Marcos youth,” Community Action Executive Director Carole Belver said in a statement. “With her wealth of experience and knowledge, Ms. Washington is the ideal candidate to lead our efforts at this inaugural point.”

The Youth Services Director position was formalized in February and will be funded through a contract between the city, Hays County, San Marcos Consolidated ISD and Texas State University. Community Action will oversee the position and its involvement with the other four entities, the city said. 

Prior to being hired as the new Youth Services Director, Washington served as a program coordinator at Austin Community College from 2009 to present. She also served on the city’s Commission on Children and Youth as a chairperson in the ACC role from May 2017 to Jan. 2019. She will begin her new role in mid-August. 

“I am thrilled that Dana Washington will be our first Youth Services Program Director, working in collaboration with the Core 4 in implementing the goals and vision set forth by the San Marcos Commission on Children and Youth,” said Anne Halsey, SMCCY chairperson. “Washington’s extensive professional experience—her understanding of the importance of community engagement, collaboration, and equity—combined with her proven commitment to the greater San Marcos area as a parent and community leader, make her the perfect person to lead this historic initiative in service of our young people and their families.”