Grays Harbor County Board of Health adds four new members

Aberdeen, WA – The Grays Harbor County Board of Health added four new members who were selected Wednesday.

Grays Harbor County Public Health tells KXRO that the new members will take their seats on the board alongside the three existing members at the quarterly meeting on July 28.

The new members were appointed by the Board of County Commissioners from four different categories.

Char Hood of Aberdeen will serve a two-year term in the category of consumer of public health.

Chris Olive of Aberdeen will serve a one-year term in the other community stakeholder category.

Dr. Kenneth Dietrich of Oakville will serve a two-year term as the public health, health care facilities, provider.

The tribal representative is Chrissy Winn of Taholah who will serve a three-year term.

“We are very excited to welcome our new members to the Grays Harbor County Board of Health,” said Grays Harbor County Public Health Director Mike McNickle. “The new perspectives, energy and vision they bring will help us move forward with innovative initiatives that will help improve the health of all Grays Harbor County residents.”

The state legislature in 2021 passed legislation that directed each local health jurisdiction to expand its board of health by July 1, 2022. 

The Grays Harbor County Commissioners, who will continue to serve on the Board of Health, passed a resolution May 17 to expand the board from three elected members to add the four non-elected positions.

The candidates were appointed Wednesday at a special Board of Health meeting and they came from a pool of applicants accepted over the last month, except for the tribal representative, who was selected by the American Indian Health Commission and approved by the Board of County Commissioners.