Palacios 

HERMISTON — The city of Hermiston has hired Ignacio Palacios as its new finance director.

Palacios is a lifelong Oregon resident who grew up on a small farm near Hubbard, a rural town in north Marion County between Salem and Portland, living in the Willamette Valley ever since.

He has spent his 25-year career in finance and accounting, working at times for municipalities, nonprofits and private businesses. Most recently he was the finance manager for West Coast Beet Seed.

Though he had only previously been to Eastern Oregon on vacation, he said he is excited by the opportunity to work in the growing Hermiston area.

“It still feels like a small town but has some of the benefits of a bigger city,” Palacios said. He said he felt an immediate connection with the community and the staff during his initial visit and interview.

Palacios said he prioritizes communication, responsiveness and transparency in his work as finance director, and he knows that it takes work to explain the budgeting process.

Palacios and his wife raised three sons and a daughter, with the youngest son still in high school and living at home. They enjoy camping, hiking, biking and traveling in their 1966 Volkswagen.