Washington State Parks director resigns after less than year

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Officials say Washington State Parks Director Peter Mayer has resigned less than a year after he was appointed to lead the agency. The Seattle Times reports in a news release sent Wednesday night, an agency spokesperson said Mayer had voluntarily submitted his resignation to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. The commission held a special meeting Wednesday afternoon regarding complaints brought against “a public officer or employee.” It wasn’t immediately clear whether the two events were related. State Parks and Recreation Commission spokesperson Amanda McCarthy wrote in the news release that Mayer resigned voluntarily based on the best interest of his family and to pursue other opportunities closer to his new home.