The legal office that advises the North Bethany County Service District for Roads has a new permanent leader.
The Board of Commissioners appointed Cortney Duke-Driessen as chief attorney of the Office of County Counsel, the county announced in a Sept. 1 media release. Duke-Driessen had been serving in an interim role since July 14, replacing Alex Barnett.
The appointment ends a stretch of turnover at the top. Duke-Driessen served one interim stint as lead attorney from June 2024 to June 2025, then returned to interim leadership on July 14 before being named permanently to the post.
The Office of County Counsel provides legal advice to the Board of Commissioners, the Sheriff's Office, the Housing Authority, the Enhanced Sheriff's Patrol District, the Urban Road Maintenance District, Cooperative Library Services and the North Bethany County Service District for Roads. That roads district adopted an $11.4 million budget for fiscal year 2026-27, according to June 16 board meeting minutes.
Duke-Driessen is a 13-year county veteran. She has provided legal counsel on capital projects, transportation, parks and the county's use of millions in federal COVID-19 recovery dollars.
Board Chair Kathryn Harrington praised the hire, calling Duke-Driessen "an experienced leader and accomplished attorney with an enormous commitment to the Washington County organization and the people we serve."
Before joining the county, Duke-Driessen spent 10 years as a managing partner at Schroeder Law Offices, where her clients included special districts and agricultural water organizations. Her work involved negotiating intergovernmental agreements, civil litigation and advising clients on public meetings and records law.
Duke-Driessen said she was thankful for the appointment and acknowledged her predecessor's contributions. "I'm thankful to the board for this appointment and to Alex for his leadership during his tenure with Washington County …" she said in the county's announcement.
The office operates on a $6.2 million annual budget with 16 full-time staff positions. The Board of Commissioners' meeting schedule is posted on the Washington County website.
