08/25/2026
Our own Chris Weiler is featured in the latest Deschutes County Employee Spotlight!
Learn more about Chris, his role as our Operations Officer, and his approach to improving safety and efficiency across Health Services in the article below.
Ten years ago, on his first day with Deschutes County, Chris Weiler found himself facing a problem he hadn’t expected.
A clinician was alone with a client in a dangerous situation after work, with no quick, discreet way to call for help. The experience stuck with Chris and eventually helped lead to panic alarm systems across Health Services.
“That was kind of the start of it, 10 years ago.”
Today, Chris is Health Services’ Operations Officer. His team looks across Public Health and Behavioral Health for ways to make work safer and more efficient. That puts them behind many of the systems employees rely on every day, from technology and facilities to vehicles, safety and changing work processes.
“Why are they doing 20 clicks when they could do four?”
That question captures how Chris approaches his work: There’s usually a way forward, even if they haven’t found it yet.
“I don't look at things as not being possible,” Chris said. “It's just the opposite. It's like we just don't know yet how to get there.”
That willingness to try also means occasionally getting something wrong. Years ago, Chris helped introduce GPS technology in Health Services vehicles to improve employee safety. When staff discovered the system also tracked speed, “Radar Weiler” was born, complete with Chris-themed bobbleheads appearing around the department.
Chris still uses the story as a lesson about change: Ask good questions, understand the impact and own the mistakes.
It fits with three rules his Operations team has followed for years: Show up. Tell on yourself. Try. “Tell on yourself” means acknowledging a mistake so the team can focus on fixing it rather than assigning blame.
And then there’s the mustache. Chris grew it after injuring his lip on vacation. His wife hates it, his coworkers have made plenty of Tom Selleck comparisons and that only gives him more reason to keep it.
The joking comes easily, but Chris takes the responsibility behind his work seriously. When change affects employees and the people who rely on County services, he’s comfortable being the person out front.
“If it's a bad thing, I'll take it. If a good thing, my colleagues are going to get the credit for it.”
