PORT HADLOCK — Bill Wise, who helped guide a successful 2008 election campaign that now has the Jefferson County Public Utility District negotiating to provide electric service, is the third person to file an application for the PUD commissioner’s seat left vacant by the Nov. 13 death of Dana Roberts.
Wise filed his declaration Monday.
Barney Burke, a reporter leaving The Leader weekly newspaper Dec. 31, and Bob Sokol, who served three terms on the Port of Port Townsend commission and a term on the Port Townsend City Council, had filed their applications for appointment to the position earlier.
PUD commissioners will discuss the open position during a meeting at 5 p.m. today in the PUD office at 230 Chimacum Road, Port Hadlock, but they are not expected to appoint a commissioner to the unexpired term of the District 1 commissioner position until early next year.
The two remaining PUD commissioners, Wayne King of Gardiner and Ken McMillen of Port Hadlock, will accept applications until Dec. 31.
As co-facilitator for Citizens for Local Power, Wise, 64, worked sucessfully on the campaign that ended in voters, in 2008, authoritizing the PUD, which now serves 3,500 water customers and 200 sewer connections, to pursue getting into the business of also providing electricity.
The PUD now is negotiating with Puget Sound Energy to possible take over that company’s facilities and service in East Jefferson County.
Since 2007, Wise, of Port Townsend, has been Team Jefferson chairman, participating in energy efficiency grant applications with the city of Port Townsend, Jefferson County and local businesses.
Team Jefferson is the county’s economic development agency through Washington State University Extension in Port Hadlock.
Encouraged to join
Wise said that he talked to many people during the power authority campaign, and that since then he has been encouraged to join the PUD commission.
“I feel like I could bring a pretty good skill set there,” he said, adding that he was not declaring as a candidate for the position but was thinking about running for it in November 2010.
Neither Burke nor Sokol have declared themselves candidates for the position.
Candidates can declare for the seat when the filing period opens in June.
During the past year, Wise has worked with Dave Robison as a strategic planning consultant for the Port of Port Townsend.
He also has been an at-large citizen member of the Port Townsend Alternative Electric Management Committee since 2007.
Since 2005, he has led the Local 20/20 Energy Action Group.
Wise has worked as a computer design engineer and manager for Digital Equipment Corporation, vice president of Marketing of McCormack & Dodge and as president of the electronic commerce division of Verizon Corporation.
He has also served as a business consultant.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut in electrical engineering, graduating magna cum laude in 1973. He graduated from the Northeaster University executive management program in 1977.
He served in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service in the 1960s as a navigation supervisor and navigation electronics technician first class.
Applications for the open PUD commissioner position can be delivered to the PUD office, or mailed to PUD No. 1, P.O. Box 929 Port Hadlock, WA, 98339.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
