Meet Cori McKean

Cori McKean’s story starts on a small family farm in Ellensburg, where early mornings, hard work, and lending a hand to your neighbors weren’t lessons — they were just everyday life. Growing up in Manastash 4‑H, Ellensburg FFA, Thorp FBLA, and serving as a Washington State Girls Representative gave her a strong sense of leadership and showed her what it means to step up for your community. Today, Cori keeps those roots alive by leading the Trailblazers 4‑H Club, volunteering on the Friends of the Fair Board, serving as a Fair Superintendent, and staying active with Ellensburg Noon Rotary.

After high school, Cori went to work as a dispatcher for the Ellensburg Police Department, beginning what is now more than 35 years of service to the people of Kittitas County. She married Michael McKean, and together they welcomed their son, Tommy. When motherhood came later in life, Cori looked for a way to keep serving her community without the strain of overnight shifts. In 2019, she moved from her “first” first‑responder role at KITTCOM to the “last” first‑responder role in the Coroner’s Office. At the invitation of Coroner Nick Henderson, she stepped into a position that brought her full circle — from being the first voice in a crisis to the final guardian of dignity, accuracy, and truth.

Cori learned the Coroner’s Office from the ground up — first as assistant to Coroner Henderson, then as Office Administrator, then Chief Deputy Coroner, and now as our Coroner. Along the way, she earned both state and national medicolegal death‑investigation certifications. She knows every part of the job because she’s done every part of the job.

Cori secured grant funding and helped guide the office through full accreditation — an important step that ensures the Coroner’s Office meets the highest professional standards for accuracy, safety, and transparency. Accreditation gives families confidence that every case is handled with the same care and consistency they’d expect in any well‑run medical or public‑safety agency.

Now, under her direct leadership, the focus is on real, practical progress that strengthens how the office serves local families. She’s launched new family‑support and community‑outreach efforts, so folks have guidance and compassion when they need it most. She’s building an investigator peer‑support program to help the coroner's team stay healthy in a demanding line of work. And she’s working more closely than ever with the Health Department to expand prevention efforts.

When a family needs answers, Cori believes they deserve to know their loved one is being cared for with dignity. She chooses to be present in the autopsy suite because families cannot be, and she feels called to stand there with dignity and compassion, bearing witness on their behalf. Every case represents a life, a story, and the people who loved them. Cori carries that truth with her, treating each person with the gentleness and respect she’d want for her own family.

For Cori, this work is rooted in the values she was raised with- respect for families, doing things the right way, and earning trust through honesty and quiet, steady service. Her leadership keeps the office grounded, supports her team through difficult moments, and reassures the community that its most sensitive matters are handled with care.

Steady, trusted, and deeply rooted in Kittitas County, Cori brings proven experience to one of the county’s most delicate roles. Her path, from farm kid to dispatcher to medicolegal professional, reflects a lifetime of showing up for the people who call this valley home. Every day, she brings demonstrated competence and a neighbor’s heart to the work.