Gov. Gregoire announces boards and commissions appointments

For Immediate Release: March 11, 2009

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced appointments to the following boards and commissions:

Bellingham Technical College Board of Trustees:

Mark Asmundson of Bellingham has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 2, 2009, ending Sept. 30, 2011. Asmundson is the executive director of Northwest Clean Air. He was the mayor of Bellingham for 11 years and served on the Belingham City Council for nine years.

The board is the governing body for the college.


Boundary Review Board of Kitsap County:

Anne Montgomery of Silverdale has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 9, 2009, ending Jan. 31, 2011. Montgomery is an attorney with Ryan Sells Uptegraft, Inc., P.S. in Poulsbo. She is the president of the Lower Puget Sound Dressage Club.

The board has jurisdiction over municipal annexations, incorporations, disincorporations, creation or annexation of certain special districts, and extensions of sewer and water services outside the city or district.


Board of Pilotage Commissioners:

Capt. Patrick Hannigan of Mercer Island has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending Dec. 26, 2012. Hannigan is a member of the Puget Sound Pilots, as well as several committees, including the trainee evaluation and legislative committee with the Board of Pilotage.

Jeffrey Thompson of Seattle has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending Dec. 26, 2012. Thompson is an assistant vice president with General Steamship Corporation. He is a member of the Seattle Propeller Club Board of Governors and the Puget Sound Marine Exchange Board of Directors.

The mission of the Board is to ensure against the loss of lives and loss of or damage to property and vessels, as well as to protect the marine environment by maintaining efficient and competent pilotage service on our state�s inland waters.


Capital Projects Advisory Review Board:

Mark Riker of Everett has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 16, 2009, ending June 30, 2011. Riker is the business representative for the Sheet Metal Workers Local 66. He is a youth sports coach with the South Mukilteo Little League, Mukilteo Boys and Girls Club, Mukilteo Knights Amateur Athletic Union Basketball and Mukilteo Junior Football and Cheer.

The board provides an evaluation of public capital projects construction processes, including the impact of contracting methods on project outcomes, and advises the Legislature on policies related to alternative public works delivery methods.


Central Washington University Board of Trustees:

Annette Sandberg of Moses Lake has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 29, 2009, ending Sept. 30, 2014. Sandberg is the CEO of TransSafe Consulting, LLC. In 2003, she was nominated by former President George W. Bush as the administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. She was the chief of the Washington State Patrol from 1995 to 2001 and is a graduate of Central Washington University.

The board is the governing body for the college.


Clover Park Technical College Board of Trustees:

Mark Martinez of Tacoma has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 20, 2009, ending Sept. 30, 2012. Martinez currently serves as the executive secretary of the Pierce County Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO, and is an executive board member of the Pierce County Central Labor Council.

The board is the governing body for the college.


Community Economic Revitalization Board:

Robert Lewis of Vancouver has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 9, 2009, ending Sept. 2, 2011. Lewis is the president of the Columbia Vista Corporation. He is an executive board member of the Western Wood Products Association and member of the Boys and Girls Club of Hazel Dell, Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center of Vancouver and Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council.

The board�s objectives are to strengthen the economy in areas of the state that have experienced high unemployment rates or below-average economic growth, to encourage economic diversification within our state and to provide incentives for expansion of employment opportunities.


Economic Development Commission:

Edward Sprague of Longview has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 2, 2009, ending Sept. 30, 2010. Sprague is the president of the Cowlitz Economic Development Council. He also serves on the Southwest Workforce Development Council Board and Executive Committee as well as the Washington Economic Development Association Board of Directors.

The commission engages the state�s business and labor community to develop trade and economic development policies.


The Evergreen State College Board of Trustees:

Denny Heck of Olympia has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 2, 2009, ending Sept. 30, 2010. Heck founded TVW, for which he served 10 years as president. He served five terms in the Washington State House of Representatives and was the majority leader. He was also the chief of staff for former Gov. Booth Gardner and is a graduate of The Evergreen State College.

The board is the governing body for the college.


Governor�s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment:

James Morris of Olympia has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Morris is retired.

Mary Ann Melton of Pasco has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Melton is a student at Washington State University. She is the chair of the Youth Leadership Forum.

Susie Burdick of Bainbridge Island has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Burdick is the chief executive officer of the Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center. She is the chair of the National Association of Speech and Hearing Centers and a member of the Rotary Club of Seattle #4.

Susan Matt of Mercer Island has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Matt is the sole practitioner of the law office of Susan B. Matt. She volunteers with the University of Washington School of Nursing in the Department of Behavioral Nursing and Health Systems.

Dwight McClain of Spokane has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. McClain is a member of the Washington State Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council and volunteers at the Coalition of Responsible Disabled of Spokane.

Jeff Shannon of Lynnwood has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Shannon is a self-employed freelance writer and journalist. He is a member and supporter of the Northwest Chapter of the Spinal Cord Society.

Patricia Bauccio of Snohomish has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Bauccio is a program analyst/appropriations manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Eva Zittleman of Newcastle has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Zittleman is a vocational rehabilitation counselor with the Department of Services for the Blind. She is an advisory board member for the graduate program in rehabilitation counseling at Western Washington University.

Lynette Romero of Olympia has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Romero is a member of the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library Patron Advisory Committee.

Mel Magnum of College Place has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Magnum is a member of the Building Code Council and the first vice president of the Eastside Lions Club.

Jelica Nuccio of Seattle has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Nuccio is the executive director for Deaf-Blind Service Center. She is a parliamentarian for Washington State Deaf-Blind Citizens, Inc., board member of the American Association for the Deaf-Blind and founder of the Georgia Association of the Deaf-Blind.

Margaret Witt of Sequim has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Witt is retired. She is the founder of the North Olympic Hot Wheelers, and participates in the Clallam Transit Citizens Advisory Committee and Para Transit Advisory Board.

The committee advises the governor and Legislature on disability issues, generates local action, initiates projects to address specific issues, provides training and assistance to individuals and organizations statewide, conducts workshops and conferences, and publishes disability-related materials.


Governor�s Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee:

Jessica Pina of Yakima has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 9, 2009, ending June 30, 2010. Pina was recently awarded the Spirit of Youth Award, which recognizes and celebrates young adults who overcome barriers in their community and exemplifies the potential of young offenders in the juvenile justice system.

Kaaren Spanski-Dreffin of Winlock has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 9, 2009, ending June 30, 2010. Spanski-Dreffin is an employment training specialist with Educational Service District #113 in Lewis County.

The committee implements the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, which provides funds to states to improve the juvenile justice system, and advises the governor on priorities for granting federal juvenile delinquency funds and improving the juvenile system.


Investment Board:

Mason Petit of Spokane has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 13, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Petit has worked for 28 years in a variety of technical positions for the Washington State Employment Security Department. In his position as an employment and training counselor, Petit assists workers who have been displaced by international trade agreements. Petit also worked at the state Department of Social and Health Services and served as Chelan County deputy auditor.

The board invests and reinvests the monies of the state�s trust and retirement funds.


Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Plan 2 Pension Board:

Geoff Simpson of Covington has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Simpson represents the 47th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives and is a city of Kent firefighter.

The board studies pension issues, serves as fiduciaries of the LEOFF Plan 2 retirement plan, sets contribution rates and recommends pension policy to the Legislature in the interest of the members and beneficiaries of LEOFF Plan 2.


Legal Foundation of Washington:

Gary Melonson of Seattle has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 9, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Melonson is a vice president and financial adviser with Citi/Smith Barney. He serves on the board of Pacific Northwest Bankers Associations and the Breakfast Group.

The foundation acts as trustee for funds received from interest on lawyers� trust accounts, as directed by the Supreme Court. These funds are used for law-related charitable and educational purposes.


Northwest Straits Citizens Advisory Commission:

Joseph Gaydos of Eastsound has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 2, 2009, ending Oct. 31, 2012. Gaydos is the regional director and wildlife veterinarian with The SeaDoc Society.

The commission provides an ecosystem focus on the marine resources of the Northwest Straits, helps mobilize science to focus on key priorities, guides and provides resources to the Marine Resources Committees, and serves as a forum for coordination and consensus building.


Personnel Resources Board:

Darryl-Jean (DJ) Mark of Olympia has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 5, 2009, ending Jan. 4, 2015. Mark is a management consultant with Open Windows Consulting, LLC. She was the deputy insurance commissioner for the Office of the Insurance Commissioner from 1997 to 2006 and the assistant director of the state�s Department of Ecology for several years. Mark is a member of the Governor�s Distinguished Management Leadership Association.

The board governs the state merit system for state agency personnel.


Public Stadium Authority:

Chris Elwell of Seattle has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2009, ending July 15, 2011. Elwell is the executive secretary of the Seattle/King County Building and Trades Council. He also serves as a fire commissioner for King County Fire District #2.

The authority is responsible for building and operating a professional football stadium and exhibition center.


Property and Liability Advisory Board:

Joanne Nicolai of Bellevue has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 9, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Nicolai is the risk manager for the city of Bellevue. She is a member of the Washington State Bar Association.

Jennifer Hills of Newcastle has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2009, ending Dec. 31, 2011. Hills is the director of the Office of Risk Management for King County. She is a member of the Washington Chapter of the Public Risk Management Association.

The board assists the state risk manager in adopting rules governing the operation and management of individual and joint self-insurance programs covering liability and property risks, and in reviewing and approving the creation of joint self-insurance programs covering property or liability risks.


Public Employment Relations Commission:

Pamela Bradburn of Seattle has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 9, 2009, ending Sept. 8, 2013. Bradburn was an assistant program manager for the Dispute Resolution Office in King County before her retirement in 2003. She also served as the general counsel for the Washington State Council of County and City Employees.

The commission provides uniform and impartial settlement of public employee-employer disputes.


Real Estate Commission:

Jeff Thompson of Kennewick has been appointed to a term of office effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending Aug. 14, 2014. Thompson is a broker/owner of Windermere Real Estate-Tri-Cities. He is a member of the Richland Chamber of Commerce and South Hills Church Deacon Board.

The Real Estate Commission advises the Director of the Department of Licensing on real estate practices and rules in Washington.



Rehabilitation Council for the Blind:

Patricia Spencer of Olympia has been appointed to a term of office effective Jan. 16, 2009, ending Sept. 13, 2011. Spencer is a program specialist with the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. She is a former member of the Statewide Displaced Homemaker Advisory Committee and Citizen Advisory Committee for the Purdy Corrections Center for Women.

The council advises the director of the Department of Services for the Blind.


Sentencing Guidelines Commission:

Paul Pastor of Tacoma has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 13, 2009, ending Aug. 2, 2009. Pastor is the Pierce County sheriff. Prior to taking this position, he served as chief of the department�s operations bureau, and served as the undersheriff for the Clark County Sheriff�s Office. Pastor was also the chief of police for the city of Everett.

The commission evaluates state sentencing policy for the adult criminal justice system and the juvenile justice system, and recommends standard sentences for felony offenses. The commission also studies sentencing practices across the state, studies the criminal code and makes recommendations for modification.


State Board of Education:

Amy Bragdon of Spokane has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 13, 2009, ending Jan. 12, 2013. Bragdon retired from West Valley School District after serving 33 years as a teacher and as an elementary and middle school principal and high school assistant principal. She taught at Eastern Washington University for several years and was a member of its Principal Professional Education Advisory Board.

Dr. Bernal Baca of Yakima has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 13, 2009, ending Jan. 12, 2013. Baca has more than 30 years of experience as a counselor, teacher and administrator at two- and four-year colleges. He has served in his current position as faculty director of the Office of Recruitment and Retention for seven of the 30 years he has been employed by Yakima Valley Community College.

The board�s role in the K-12 system is to lead the development of state policy, provide system oversight and advocate for student success.


State Council on Aging:

Kathleen Miller of Manson has been appointed to a term of office effective Jan. 16, 2009, ending Sept. 15, 2009. Miller is retired. She volunteers on the Manson Community Council and Manson Senior Meal.

The council advises the governor and the Department of Social and Health Services on policies, programs and services affecting older people.


Veterans Affairs Advisory Board:

Gully Collier of Orting has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 22, 2009, ending July 1, 2009. Collier is a geriatric recreation volunteer with the Washington Soldiers Home recreation facility. She worked for Boeing and the U.S. Air Force.

The board advises the governor and the director of the Department of Veterans Affairs on state programs related to veterans, their dependents and survivors.


Washington State University Board of Regents:

Connie Niva of Everett has been reappointed to a term effective Jan. 16, 2009, ending Sept. 30, 2014. Niva serves as a port commissioner for the Port of Everett and is a founding member of the board of the Center for Women and Democracy. She served as a member of the Everett City Council from 1986 to 1990 and was the congressional liaison for the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority from 1990 to 1993. She currently co-chairs the Snohomish County Executive�s Citizen Cabinet.

The board is the governing body for Washington State University.



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