WHEREAS, It has been the tradition of the Washington State Senate to honor significant and important contributions made by employees; and

WHEREAS, Keenan Konopaski retired as Washington's Legislative Auditor on January 4, 2023, following a thirty-one year career in public service, with eighteen of those years serving the Legislature through his work at the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC); and

WHEREAS, While serving under the direction of eight different JLARC chairs, Keenan consistently displayed a commitment to rigorous, nonpartisan, objective analysis that has benefited the Legislature, state agencies, and the people of Washington; and

WHEREAS, Keenan oversaw performance audits that together addressed nearly every facet of state government, including competency to stand trial, highway maintenance and preservation, K-12 health benefits, low-income housing, worker's compensation, unemployment benefits, Medicaid, wildfire suppression, and more; and

WHEREAS, Keenan led JLARC and the Citizens Commission for the Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences in developing one of the nation's first state-level systematic reviews of tax preferences, through which he oversaw two hundred and seventy-seven reviews of preferences pertaining to agriculture, aerospace, manufacturing, education, and more; and

WHEREAS, Keenan ensured that the Legislature had relevant and timely information on demand by shifting reports from print to online, adding interactive tools and different formats; and

WHEREAS, To improve visibility of reports and foster implementation of recommendations, Keenan created a policy of notifying committee chairs and ranking members of audit reports on subjects within their committees' jurisdiction; and

WHEREAS, Keenan's insight and dedication to leading-edge approaches brought national recognition for JLARC's work, earning three awards for excellence in research methods, twelve certificates of impact, and four notable document awards from the National Conference of State Legislatures, as well as invitations for JLARC staff members to share their work at national conferences; and

WHEREAS, Keenan has improved the efficiency and effectiveness of state government for all Washingtonians, as agencies implemented over ninety percent of the one hundred seventy-five recommendations issued to agencies under his leadership as Legislative Auditor; and

WHEREAS, Keenan led the effort to incorporate racial-equity analyses into all JLARC performance audits; and

WHEREAS, Keenan's commitment to professional development has benefited the sixty-nine current and former JLARC staff and interns that served under him, and instilled a dedication to producing well-researched, easily understandable, and relevant work for the Legislature; and

WHEREAS, Keenan's willingness to carry on the long-standing office tradition of having a pink flamingo mascot has resulted in numerous purchases of pink flamingo mugs, pens, stuffed animals, statues, cake toppers, trivets, towels, and flashing lights; and

WHEREAS, Keenan's retirement as Legislative Auditor does not end his state service, as he will continue to serve the citizens of Washington as an adjunct professor at The Evergreen State College and help develop the next generation of public servants, which hopefully will include future JLARC research analysts; and

WHEREAS, Keenan will be missed, but his retirement is well-deserved and we wish him all the best and many camping trips and travels with his family;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate express its sincerest gratitude to Keenan Konopaski for a long career serving the state of Washington; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted to Keenan Konopaski.