Los Alamos County Council Chair Randall Ryti

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Randall Ryti is the newly-elected chair of Los Alamos County Council, taking over the gavel from Councilor Sara Scott who has served as chair for two years. Ryti was elected to Council in November 2018 and has been vice chair for the last year. Councilor James Robinson is the new Council vice chair. Both Ryti and Robinson were elected to Council in the November 2018 general election.

Other members of this year’s Council are Scott, David Izraelevitz, Denise Derkacs, David Reagor and Sean Williams.

Ryti moved to Los Alamos in 1992 to start a small business, Neptune & Co. with three other scientists. He retired from Neptune in 2018. A PhD in Biology, prior to his retirement he worked on basic and applied environmental problems including ecological and human health risk assessments for Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Hanford Site and other clients.

Ryti said congratulated Robinson saying he was looking forward to working with him.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Councilor Scott and Councilor Izraelevitz and the new councilors. New perspectives are good, so Councilor Williams, Councilor Derkacs and Councilor Reagor, I think we need to look at what we’re trying to achieve for the community and remember that at all times and I look forward to the next year,” Ryti said.

A Los Alamos native, Robinson graduated from Los Alamos High School and the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Operations Management and is currently employed by LANL. Robinson thanked his fellow councilors for putting their faith in him in the position of vice chair, saying he was humbled by their vote to allow the youngest councilor ever elected in Los Alamos County to serve as vice chair.

Los Alamos County Council Vice Chair James Robinson