By LEAH WEATHERSBY

Fremont resident Yvonne Sanchez has been named the new director of the Cityıs Department of Neighborhoods. She replaces Jim Diers, who headed the department since its formation in 1988. Nickels dismissed Diers from that post at the start of the year, believing it was time for a ³fresh perspective,² said Marianne Bichsel, spokeswoman for the Mayor.

If Sanchez, whose background is in social services, has one message, itıs that community activists shouldnıt shy away from using neighborhood matching funds from the City to improve the human condition, not just the physical environment.

³Most of the money right now is being spent on parks or transportation-related issues, ³ when actually the funds could be used in other ways as well, Sanchez said. For example, ³If kids are getting into trouble, maybe there is a use of that (money) that (neighborhoods) hadnıt considered.² Sanchez added, however, that it should be up to the individual communities to decide how best to use neighborhood matching funds from the City.

Prior to assuming her new role as director of the Department of Neighborhoods last month, Sanchez spent much of her career working for social service agencies, including the stateıs Department of Social and Health Services and, most recently, as director of the Seattle Human Servicesı family and youth division.

Most of Sanchezıs career since moving here from California in 1970s has been devoted to non-profits and government. In 1993, she received a masters degree in public administration from Seattle University with the aid of a Ford Foundation Fellowship.

In addition to her work, Sanchez volunteers her time as a board member with the Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center and the Elevated Transportation Company.

³Because I work so hard, I would rather my effort benefit the public good than make someone rich,² Sanchez said.

Sanchez said she is excited about three City programs that Mayor Nickels has decided to reassign to be administered by the Department of Neighborhoods: the Office of Education, the Compass Project (which tracks crime data) and the Neighborhood Action Team (which coordinates responses to urgent neighborhood problems).

Sanchez views the changes as good ones that will give neighborhoods more contact with schools and a more direct way to get important crime data about their areas.

When not working to make the world a better place, Sanchez said she and her husband Keith Christian and their five kids love to hike in the green spaces that she moved to Seattle for.

³I believe in the environment.,² Sanchez said. ³Not only in saving trees, but in the environment we create in an urban setting.² b