By Bill Madison
Stevens County Fire Protection District 1 Commissioner
Fire Commissioner’s Column
The fire district is happy to announce that we have completed our search for a new fire commissioner to replace Commissioner Ken Wilson, who moved out of the fire district. Commissioner Wells and I completed the selection process and have appointed Mark Whittaker to serve as commissioner until November when general elections will be held. We were fortunate to have three highly qualified candidates apply for the position. Following a review of the applicants’ resumes and letters of interest, we conducted personal interviews on April 6th. Everyone we talked with had superb credentials and would have been good in the job. Following the interview process, Commissioner Wells remarked, “This isn’t going to be an easy choice.” After considerable deliberation, however, Mark Whittaker was selected.
Mark is a full-time resident of Loon Lake and has been involved for a number of years with the Loon Lake Property Owner’s Association. Mark is a Certified Public Accountant and operates his own business with offices in Spokane. He is a graduate of the University of Wyoming. Mark has experience in the construction industry and working with general contractors, which should come in handy as we move forward in our efforts to replace two aging fire stations. Mark was one of the area residents who assisted the fire district in the spring of 2010 with the assessment center process for hiring the fire chief.
State laws require the fire district to appoint a commissioner to serve when an elected commissioner leaves office. The appointed commissioner serves until the next general election when he must participate in the election process, if he desires to complete the term of the individual he is replacing. Fire commissioners are elected for six year terms, with one of the three commissioners coming up for election every three years.