by Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard
July 22, 2026
The director of Washington’s Department of Enterprise Services is out and the leader of another agency is in charge temporarily, Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Wednesday.
Director Matt Jones, a Ferguson cabinet member who went on personal leave July 9, stepped down from the leadership post but is still employed by the agency, according to Ferguson’s office.
Spokespeople for the agency and governor’s office remain mum on why Jones took leave and how long it will last. There are no allegations of criminal wrongdoing, a Department of Enterprise Services official said last week
Ferguson tapped Employment Security Department Commissioner Cami Feek to serve as director through a transition of an unspecified length of time. The department manages state facilities, among other duties. It has more than 900 employees, a $280 million operating budget, and a $1.2 billion capital program, according to the agency’s website.
Feek is a veteran public servant having worked stints with the attorney general’s office, Washington State Patrol and General Administration, forerunner to the Department of Enterprise Services. She joined the Employment Security Department in 2017 and played a leading role in launching the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program.
Former Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Feek as commissioner in 2021 and Ferguson has kept her in that post. Before that, she served as the department’s acting commissioner, deputy commissioner and chief operating officer.
With Feek taking over for Jones, Martin McMurry, chief operations officer for the Employment Security Department, will serve as interim commissioner.
There will be a recruitment for a new Department of Enterprise Services director, agency employees were told in a Wednesday memo from Chief Operations Officer Jo Aiken.
Wednesday’s announcement did not explain what role Ferguson may have played in Jones’ decision to leave the leadership post. Nor did it provide a timeline for finding a permanent replacement.
Jones began his state career at the Department of General Administration in 2006 and has been with the Department of Enterprise Services since it was formed in 2011. He guided the Capitol Campus and Visitor Services Division for seven years before being named interim chief operations officer in October 2024, according to the agency.
Ferguson named Jones acting director of the department on Jan. 12, 2025, appointing him to the top post last July.
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