County seeks community members to fill new Board of Health vacancies

Thurston County is seeking community members for three newly opened seats on the Board of Health (BoH).

In a press release last Friday, May 27, The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) announced that they are accepting applications from community members for the additional positions to the BoH, which they expanded on April 19.

In particular, the BoCC is looking for three community members to:

• represent public health, health care facilities, and providers,
• represent consumers of public health, and
• represent other community stakeholders

As part of the county’s compliance with the recent Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1152 signed by Governor Jay Inslee on May 10 that supports public health districts, the new BoH will also include the three county commissioners, a tribal representative chosen by the American Indian Health Commission, and an elected official from Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, or Yelm.

The four cities will send one official between them to the BoCC on a rotating basis in the order mentioned above.

Interested applicants may submit a one-page letter of interest along will this application available online to Clerk of the Board Jaime Caldwell through jamie.caldwell@co.thurston.wa.us by Friday, June 24.

In a previous story by The JOLT, Thurston County Public Information Officer Bryan Dominique clarified that the board members will neither be paid nor reimbursed for their services.

The BoCC will announce the new BoH by July, the commissioners said.