A man who has had roles in several civic institutions throughout the Mid-Columbia is returning to the helm of one he was part of roughly 15 years ago.

The board of directors for the Richland Public Facilities District, or RPFD, recently named Davin Diaz as executive director. He began his new role on June 1, according to a release.

The RPFD board received 50 applications for the position and a search committee met and found two “exceptional candidates” before offering the job to Diaz, according to the board’s April meeting minutes.

The position is a newly established role focused on advancing the development of Columbia Park West and implementing the RPFD’s strategic plan. 

One of Diaz’s first jobs after moving to the Tri-Cities was as director of development for the RPFD and the not-yet-built Reach Museum.

The Reach opened to the public in 2014, roughly two years after Diaz first left the RFPD. Rosanna Sharpe continues to serve as executive director of the Reach Museum.

Diaz now will have a hand in steering the facility’s future as the district looks to make it sustainable and potentially serve the region’s performing arts community.

“Davin’s experience in fundraising, economic development, community engagement and public-private partnerships makes him uniquely qualified to lead the next phase of our work,” said Steve Wiley, board president, in a statement. “His understanding of the history of the Reach Museum, Columbia Park West and the Tri-Cities community will be invaluable as we continue moving forward.”

Diaz’s most recent role was as environmental justice program manager for the policy and budgeting coalition Front and Centered. Prior to that, his professional career included stints at the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Mid-Columbia Libraries, Benton-Franklin Council of Governments and United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties.

An accomplished artist who has won awards for his work, Diaz also had roles with the Arts Center Task Force, Gesa Power House Theatre in Walla Walla, Washington State Arts Commission, Richland’s Confluent makerspace, and a work group on the creative economy at the state Department of Commerce. In 2021, the art gallery he founded, DrewBoy Creative, received Ovation Television’s national Stand for the Arts Award.

His return to the RPFD also will have him reuniting with the Arts Center Task Force. Several supporters of the arts advocacy group currently sit on the RPFD’s board, which also contracted with the task force earlier this year to study how the Reach’s existing outdoor amphitheater can better support community and cultural events.  

“I am honored to join the Richland Public Facilities District at such an exciting time,” Diaz said in a statement. “The RPFD has a long history of investing in projects that enrich our community and create lasting public value. I look forward to working with the board, community partners, and residents throughout the region to help realize the next phase of Columbia Park West and strengthen the cultural and educational assets that make our community unique.”

The task force has worked for roughly 20 years to build a dedicated performing arts venue as a home for several regional arts organizations. In 2025, it sought voter approval of a local sales tax to fund the construction of a performing arts center near the Reach and its amphitheater in Columbia Park West. Voters rejected that effort, with more than 60% voting against it.