The Renton Reporter’s special section on Dr. Mary Alice Heuschel

Mary Alice Heuschel is already used to the hours she’ll put in as chief of staff to Gov. Jay Inslee.

“It will be 24/7, just like Renton,” she says of the demands of her job as essentially a gatekeeper to Inslee.

She’s rented an apartment in Olympia, because she doesn’t want to risk getting stuck in traffic.

“I know the job is going to be incredibly demanding on my time,” she said. “I’ve the commitment to do that.”

Husband Gene will stay at their Renton home, but she’ll come home on weekends.

The Heuschels have four sons, all of whom live outside the Seattle area.

Gene is in the Air Force in Virginia, Brian is a registered nurse in Los Angeles, Tony is a deputy sheriff in Napa, Calif., and Josh owns a business in Spokane.

Heuschel has resigned from all the organizations to which she belonged statewide and in Renton, including Rotary Club. But she plans to join the Olympia chapter and will come back for the CAPER auction.