||| FROM CHAD KIMPLE, ACTING CHIEF ORCAS FIRE & RESCUE |||
Karen Guice, M.D., M.P.P. was appointed to Fire Commissioner Seat #5 at the July 8 board meeting. The selected candidate for Seat #5 will serve as an appointed commissioner on the Board, with a public election taking place on the seat in the 2025 Election. At that time the publicly elected commissioner will have been elected to a new 6-year term.
Karen first came to the San Juan Islands in the 1970s while a general surgery resident at the University of Washington. Karen and her family purchased land on Orcas in 2012 and subsequently became a full-time Orcas resident in 2020.
Karen is a retired general surgeon and currently serves as the President of the Defense Health Board, an advisory committee to the Secretary of Defense. During her career, she worked for Ernst and Young’s Government and Public Sector (GPS) Advisory practice, where she provided consultative services and served as the Chief Medical Officer. Prior to joining EY, she served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense (AASD) for Health Affairs and was responsible for the Military Health System’s policies and budgets. She has been a member of the surgical faculties at the University of
Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the University of Michigan, and served as Professor of Surgery at Duke University and the Medical College of Wisconsin. She also holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Duke University.
Karen wants to ensure that Orcas Island has the critical fire and emergency medical services that are needed to support our community. Fire Commissioner Email: kguice@orcasfire.org
Elisabeth “Darby” Britt, also known by her middle name Darby, was appointed to Fire Commissioner Seat #4 at the July 15 board meeting. The selected candidate for Seat #4 will serve as an appointed commissioner on the Board, with a public election taking place on the seat in the 2025 Election. At that time the publicly elected commissioner will complete the remainder of the term ending December 31, 2029.
Elisabeth moved full-time to Orcas Island in 2021, a place she fell in love with during her youth. She is the fifth generation of her family to live, work and raise her family in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
With over 25 years of experience in the finance and the public sector, Elisabeth brings a wealth of community outreach expertise to her role at OIFR. Starting with service as a legislative aide/assistant in the Washington State Legislature, her career has been marked by significant contributions to various non-profit boards, government commissions, and committees, highlighting her dedication to open government, public safety, and community development. Her dedication to these roles underscores her commitment to fostering a thriving, engaged, and well-served community on Orcas
Island. Fire Commissioner Email: ebritt@orcasfire.org
The Board of Fire Commissioners would like to thank all applicants for applying for the vacant board positions.
Two very accomplished new fire commissioners!
There is a lot to fix in the Orcas fire district. Financial accounting was not in accordance to required current standards, many records are reportedly are not orderly and make public record requests challenging to answer, and fire fighting equipment is aged and maintenance may need increased attention. Money will be tight until next April when the new fire levy revenues kick in. They have their work cut out for them.
The five new fire commissioners and the new interim fire chief have hopefully put the past six months of nasty public discourse and leadership issues to an end.