WICD Board


​Overview

A board of five Supervisors, three elected and two appointed, directs the programs and policies of the Whidbey Island Conservation District.  The board meets once a month to discuss district business, oversee district finances and provide guidance on district activities. The meetings are open to the public.
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Appointed and elected positions are for 3-year terms and are served without compensation.  District elections are held each spring. ​For more information about the Conservation District election process, view our election fact sheet by clicking here.

District Election 2020

Vote for a District Supervisor in WICD's general election!

​In May 2020, the terms of two WICD supervisors will expire – one elected and one appointed.  Both are full-term (3-years) positions to be filled. By resolution at the October 2019 Board meeting, details were set for the 2020 election.

The WICD annual Board of Supervisors election will be held from 2-6pm on February 4, 2020 at the WICD office at 1 NE 4th Street in Coupeville, WA. The election will fill one position which is expiring on May 1, 2020.  All Island County registered voters who reside on Whidbey Island are eligible and encouraged to vote. There are 4 candidates on the ballot this year.
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​Additionally, there is one appointed position expiring on May 1, 2020. The deadline to apply for the appointed position is March 31, 2020.  Candidates must be registered voters residing on Whidbey Island, and may be required to own land or operate a farm. Complete information on how to file as an appointed candidate is available to review and download at:
​ www.scc.wa.gov/elections/.  ​

Meet the Candidates for the Elected Position

Ann “Anza” Muenchow
​Anza Muenchow and her husband, Marc Wilson, moved from Seattle to South Whidbey in 2003 and live on their 45 acres in the Glendale watershed. Their 2 acre farm, Maha Farm, provides direct sales of diverse fresh produce at Tilth’s seasonal farmers’ market and through their farm stand.
Anza has held several positions at WSU Extension mostly in horticulture and food security. She has served on the WICD board for 3 years and appreciates all our conservation district offers the residents of Whidbey.
Anza has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Human Biology from Stanford University, and a Master’s of Social Work from Univ. of Washington.  She worked for Seattle P-Patch Foundation and for WSU Extension King Co. building community gardens and micro-farms in public housing projects in Seattle and King County before moving to the island.

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Gary L. Ketcheson 
I am running for the WICD Board of Supervisors position because I believe wholeheartedly in the mission of the Conservation Districts and assisting landowners, large and small, with the management of their properties. I am passionate about conserving the resources that surround and support us.
I have degrees in Resource Conservation and Forest Hydrology with a minor in soil science. I am retired after a 32 year career with land management agencies where I developed, reviewed, and altered management activities associated with forest management, road systems, rangeland management including riparian areas, and recreation management. My expertise is in erosion control and sedimentation prevention, and water quality related to land management activities.
It would be a honor and privilege to be associated with the fine professionals at the WICD through the Board of Supervisors.

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Kyle Flack
I grew up on Whidbey Island, and after leaving Whidbey for military service, I returned home to farm and raise my family. I own and operate Bells Farm with my great family, and as a farmer and someone with strong ties to this place I am very interested in supporting conservation and best practices for landowners and the Island as a whole. I feel that I have the energy, youth, commitment, and understanding of our local environment both ecologically and socially to serve and contribute as a board supervisor for the conservation district. I want to support the amazing, forward thinking staff of the district with their great work of helping to not only conserve, and sustain land, but also to regenerate and improve the private and public lands of Whidbey Island. 

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David S. Edwards
David Edwards holds a bachelor's degree in forest management from Oregon State University, and has substantial field experience in coastal forest lands similar to those found on Whidbey Island. He led the fixed-wing aerial firefighting division of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, where he became skilled at state-level budgeting and building interagency partnerships. He is a retired Air Force officer and pilot, and has commanded at multiple levels. He is currently a pilot for a major airline. David and his wife, Jill, live near Langley.
 
Whidbey Island’s much-loved forest lands are essential to the island’s rural character, and sustaining a healthy forest ecosystem benefits all island residents. The Conservation District staff does a terrific job helping landowners become good stewards of their forests; as a Board Supervisor, David believes his forestry background and expertise in organizational leadership will add value to the WICD team.

​Related Documents:

• WICD Board Resolution #19-10_1
• 2020 Candidates Guidance Letter
• Form PF-A Candidate Information Form
• Form PF-B Qualified Nominating Petition 
• Form AF1 - Conservation District Appointed Supervisor Application ​                     

• Conservation District Candidates Guide to Elections
• Conservation District Candidates Guide to Appointments
• Conservation District Supervisor Responsibilities

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WICD Board Member Profiles

Ed Adams
CHAIR
APPOINTED, TERM THROUGH 2021
Ed Adams, PhD, of Oak Harbor is an emeritus faculty member of Washington State University Extension. A botanist and plant pathologist by training, he started his career teaching farmers weed management and how to control plant diseases in dryland agricultural cropping systems. He coordinated WSU Extension's water quality programming in eastern Washington and then provided administrative leadership for all of WSU Extension's agriculture and natural resource programs. Adams has served on the Washington State Conservation Commission, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Technical Advisory Committee, and USDA State Outreach Committee. Retired now and enjoying hiking, biking, and fishing on Whidbey Island, Adams is also currently serving on the Island County Marine Resources Committee.

Anza Muenchow
AUDITOR
ELECTED, TERM THROUGH 2020
Anza graduated in 1975 with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a minor in Human Biology from Stanford University. Then she attended the School of Social Work at University of Washington and graduated with a Masters degree in 1979. Anza worked for Seattle P-Patch Foundation and for WSU Extension King County building community gardens and micro-farms in public housing projects in Seattle and King County. She and her husband Marc Wilson, moved from Seattle to South Whidbey in 2003 and live on their 45 acres in the Glendale watershed. The land and big wetlands are mostly in Forest Stewardship, but they have a few acres in farm. Their farm, Maha Farm, mostly provides direct sales of diverse fresh produce at seasonal farmers' markets and through a farm stand.  Anza is interested in all the education that WICD provides to the land users on our island. Her experience with forest management and in food systems has drawn her to the work of the Conservation District.

Sarah Richards
VICE CHAIR
ELECTED, TERM THROUGH 2021
Sarah Richards farms lavender on Whidbey Island and produces value-added products in her new retail and manufacturing location in Coupeville. She grew up on another island off the east coast of the USA. She has had a myriad of work experiences, including telephone installation, computer programming, and mental health counseling. She has a Masters degree in Counseling from Oregon State University. Recently she has served on the boards of the Northwest Agriculture Business Center, KWPA Radio, is a founding officer of the United States Lavender Growers Association, and was President of the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce for two terms. She also has a flock of chickens on her lavender farm.
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Tim Keohane
MEMBER
​ELECTED, TERM THROUGH 2022
Tim was born in Osaka, Japan in 1948. As a military family, they moved every three years; living in Europe, North Africa, and several states, including Alaska. Upon graduating high school in 1966, Tim built a 32' fishing vessel and went to Alaska to earn money for college. After graduating with a degree in Industrial Technology/Engineering, he continued to fish commercially in Alaska and to spend the off-season involved in a variety of projects from building boats, to houses, to hydraulic lift boat trailers. Tim became more involved in agriculture when he married his wife, Paula, also a commercial fisher and farmer in Alaska, becoming involved in hay production and forestry. It was at that time they began to work with the Soil Conservation Service in developing the family homestead. Since acquiring some acreage on Whidbey Island, Tim has continued both his commercial fishing in Alaska and his involvement in farm operations and development here. His most recent effort is the development and implementation of a forest conservation plan on their 32-acres in central Whidbey.

Tom Fournier
MEMBER
APPOINTED, TERM THROUGH 2020
Tom Fournier lives in Coupeville on Whidbey Island. Tom, who retired from federal service a few years ago, has worked previously with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Soil Conservation Service, and the Navy. He has a degree in Geography from Humboldt State College. He has volunteered regularly with the Conservation District, helping out during the annual Native Plant Sale, as well as with planting the rain garden designed and installed by WICD and partners at the Freeland Library in 2009. He also volunteers each year with the local "Hearts and Hammers" Program. Tom assists his wife, Barb, with her numerous garden projects. Together, they produce enough garden edibles to supply their own needs and to donate to the Food Bank.
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2018 Northwest Area

District Supervisor

of the Year 

WSCC Director of Policy & Inter-governmental Relations Ron Shultz (right) presents WICD Vice Chair Supervisor Sarah Richards (left) with an award in October 2018.

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2018 Outstanding

Supervisor Award

WICD's Fiscal Administrator, Sandy Welch (left) presents WICD Board Supervisor Tom Fournier (right) with an award in November 2018.