“We were looking for community members who were familiar with island issues and who had demonstrated commitments to a variety of endeavors,” commissioner Barbara Bedell stated at the meeting. “From the volunteers and the paid staff, we were looking for individuals who were insightful and knowledgeable; one who was relatively new to the department and one who had served here a longer period of time. In all cases, we were looking for candidates who we felt could give of their time, their knowledge, and their expertise in evaluating potential candidates in a fair and well-considered manner.”

Bedell is chairing the committee.

Committee members will be Dawn Parnell, Dave Zoeller (or “Z”), Rich Harvey, Lindsay Schirmer, and Art Lange. James Wolf will participate in an advisory capacity.

“Both Dawn and Art were selected on the basis of their knowledge of Orcas Island and their involvement with other boards and community organizations,” said Bedell. “They bring two very different perspectives to the committee that we felt would be quite helpful.”

She offered the following comments on the commissioners’ selection of the volunteer and department members of the committee:

“The commissioners asked for recommendations from the volunteer association. Rich was chosen on the basis of his experience and because of his position as president of the association. ‘Z’ was chosen for his long-standing experience, his reputation, and his knowledge of the department.

Lindsay Schirmer was chosen on the basis of her familiarity with the department through her position as administrative assistant, her talents in a number of areas from writing the Friday Updates and working on the website, and upon the relatively short time that she has been a part of Orcas Island Fire and Rescue. James Wolf is an Orcas Island resident who has over 25 years of experience in the Human Resources field. He has conducted numerous entry, mid, and senior management searches and is willing to design a selection methodology to help evaluate and find the best candidate for the position of chief for Orcas Island Fire and Rescue.”

The commissioners and the committee are starting to work on the selection criteria for the new chief, and will share this information once the criteria are finalized.