Gov. Gregoire announces boards and commissions appointments

For Immediate Release: December 27, 2007

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

Capital Projects Advisory Review Board
Pete Crow of Olympia has been appointed to a term effective Nov. 26, 2007, ending June 30, 2011. Crow is Washington State Association of Plumbers and Pipe Fitter executive director. He is Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council vice president, and is a member of Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, Workforce Development Council and International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials. Crow volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, Spokane St. Patrick�s Day Parade and Spokane Parks and Recreation, and is a Cub Scout assistant den leader.

The capital projects advisory review board is created as a department in general administration to evaluate 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.

Child Support Schedule Workgroup
Colleen Sachs of Renton has been appointed to a term effective Nov. 28, 2007, ending June 30, 2009. Sachs is a real estate agent with John L Scott Real Estate. She is a member of Parent Teacher Association and Children�s Hospital Guild of Children�s Hospital and Medical Center, and on the United Methodist Church board of trustees.

The Honorable Richard Gallaher of Seattle has been appointed to a term effective Dec. 5, 2007, ending June 30, 2009. Gallaher is the King County Superior Court family law commissioner. He is a member of Superior Court Judges� Association, Family and Juvenile Law Commission, King County Bar Association, and South King County Bar Association

The workgroup examines current laws, administrative rules, and practices regarding child support. It produces findings and makes recommendations to the Legislature.

Collection Agency Board
Scott Wiswall of Redmond has been appointed to a term effective Nov. 19, 2007, ending Dec. 31, 2009. Wiswall is collection manager for Merchants Credit Association. He is a member of American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management, Healthcare Financial Management Association, and Washington Collectors Association

The board regulates collection agencies within the state, holds disciplinary hearings, and recommends and adopts rules and regulations for administering regulatory law.

Governor�s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment
Mary Jo Harvey of Spokane has been reappointed to a term effective November 26, 2007, ending December 31, 2010. Harvey is senior housing and community developer for Community Frameworks. She is a member of Self-Help for Hard of Hearing-Spokane Chapter, Hearing Loss Association of Washington and Coalition of Responsible Disabled, and volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

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.

State Advisory Council on Homelessness
Steven K. Washington of Tacoma has been appointed to a term effective Nov. 27, 2007, ending Jan. 4, 2011. Washington is deputy director of community planning and development for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He is a certified housing development finance professional for National Development Council, and a member of the Council of State and Community Development Agencies and Branch Bank and Trust Co.

The council makes annual policy recommendations to the governor and the Affordable Housing Board on ways to enhance the state's ability to respond to the needs of people who are homeless, who are at risk of becoming homeless, or who have been homeless.

Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission
Richard Brantner, M.D., FAAEM, of Olympia has been appointed to a term effective Nov. 26, 2007, ending June 30, 2011. Dr. Brantner is an attending physician with Olympia Emergency Services at Providence St. Peter Hospital, is on the attending and teaching staff of Madigan Army Medical Center for the University of Washington, and is an advanced cardiac life support instructor. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and a Diplomat of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and holds medical licenses in Washington, Hawaii and Ohio.

The commission regulates the competency and quality of medical professionals licensed to practice medicine and surgery by establishing, monitoring and enforcing qualifications for licensing, consistent standards of practice, continuing competency mechanisms and discipline.

Commission on Pesticide Registration
Robert Berger of College Place has been appointed to a term effective Nov. 26, 2007, ending Sept. 14, 2010. Berger is a retired landscape architect. He was chief landscape architect for Washington State Department of Transportation Maintenance and Operations for 29 years. He is on the board of directors for National Roadside Vegetation Management Association and Washington State Weed Conference, and is a Washington State University Master Gardener Program trainer.

The commission provides guidance to Washington State University Food Safety and Environmental Quality Lab in the area of pesticide registrations for minor crops and minor uses and regarding the availability of pesticides for emergency use. It approves use of state monies appropriated to WSU specifically for studies or activities regarding pesticide registrations.

Pipeline Safety Committee
Robert A. Archey of Seattle has been appointed to a term effective Nov. 26, 2007, ending July 31, 2010. Archey is owner and organizational development consultant for Roundtable Associates. He is a member of Thurston County Dispute Resolution Center Board, Emerald City Rotary Board, Institute of Cultural Affairs, International Association of Facilitators, and Organizational Development Network.

Leo M. Bowman of Richland has been reappointed to a term effective Nov. 26, 2007, ending July 31, 2010. Bowman is a Benton County Commissioner and is an auto repair business owner. He is Transportation Improvement Board chairman, Washington State Association of Counties board of directors president, and a Ben Franklin Transit Board member.

David G. Knoelke of Port Orchard has been appointed to a term effective Nov. 26, 2007, ending July 31, 2010. Knoelke is senior regulatory compliance coordinator for BP Pipelines North America. He is Association of Oil Pipe Lines communications committee chairman, and is a member of American Petroleum Institute (API) Performance Excellence Committee and API Data Mining Team.

The committee advises Utilities and Transportation Commission and other appropriate federal, state and local government agencies and officials on matters relating to hazardous liquid and gas pipeline safety, routing, construction, operation, and maintenance. The committee reviews and comments on proposed rules and on the operation of the state pipeline safety program.

State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs
Bee Cha of Bellevue has been appointed to a term effective Dec. 5, 2007, ending June 30, 2010. Cha works for Washington State University with the small farms program and is coordinator/facilitator for Hmong Farmers Association of Washington, WSU Extension and Eastside Hmong Association. Cha is Hmong Eastside Association president, Hmong Youth Clan Club president and founder and a Lao Highland Association board member and representative.

The commission examines and defines issues pertaining to the rights and needs of Asian Americans and advises the governor and state agencies on policies, plans and needs.

Board of Trustees, Community College District No. 19 (Columbia Basin College)
Renee Finke of Pasco has been appointed to a term effective Nov. 21, 2007, ending Sept. 30, 2012. Finke is procurement supervisor for CH2M HILL Hanford Group Inc. She is a member of St. Patrick�s Parish settlement campaign committee, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Great Strides Event fund-raising team, Vintner�s Club, United Way, and Pasco High School class reunion committee.

The board of trustees governs the 30 community and technical college districts.

State Board of Health
Mel Tonasket of Omak has been reappointed to a term effective Dec. 6, 2007, ending July 1, 2010. Tonasket is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribal Council, the Public Health Improvement Plan steering committee and the State Advisory Committee for the Department of Social and Health Services and is on the board of directors for United Indians of All Tribes Foundation and for Okanogan Regional Home Health and Hospice. He was Paschal Sherman Indian School chairman of the board and was president (two terms) and vice president (one term) of the National Congress of American Indians. Tonasket was a member of the congressional American Indian Policy Review Commission and represented U.S. tribal governments at the World Council of Indigenous Peoples and at the Inter-American Indigenous Conference in Brazil.

The board is the primary entity for state health policy development. It is required to produce a biennial report delineating the state's health priorities.

Legal Foundation of Washington
Art Wang of Tacoma has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2008, ending Dec. 31, 2009. Wang is a special assistant for unemployment insurance tax for Washington Employment Security Department and is a Seattle University and University of Puget Sound School of Law adjunct professor. He is a member of Washington State Bar Association, Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, Asian Bar Association of Washington, and Pierce County Minority Bar Association. Wang is Washington Network of Adjudicatory Agencies co-founder and counsel for Davies Pearson, P.C. He was a Washington State Court of Appeals judge and Chief Administrative Law Judge for Office of Administrative Hearings, and was on the Washington State Supreme Court Task Force on Civil Equal Justice, Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, and Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee.

Barbara A. Fox of Kirkland has been appointed to a term effective Jan. 1, 2008, ending Dec. 31, 2009. Fox is an escrow officer and limited practice officer for Woodinville Escrow Inc. She is a member of Limited Practice Board, Escrow Association of Washington, Eastside Regional Escrow Association, and Association of Professional Mortgage Women., and is a member of the Anti-Racism Planning and Design Task Force for the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia.

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.

State Rehabilitation Council
Jerry Johnsen of Seattle has been appointed to a term effective Dec. 3, 2007, ending Sept. 30, 2010. Johnsen is Washington State Client Assistance Program director. He is a Governor�s Committee on Disability and Employment associate member, Washington Association of Postsecondary Education and Disability member and is an Accessible Activities board member. He volunteers with Seattle homeless shelter and is photographer for Franklin High School.

The council reviews, analyzes and advises the general vocational rehabilitation program under the Rehabilitation Act. In partnership with the general vocational rehabilitation program, the council develops, agrees to and reviews preparation of the state plan, the strategic plan, reports, needs assessments and evaluations.

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