PORT HADLOCK — It will be at least three weeks before a decision is made on who will replace Katherine Baril as head of the Washington State University Extension.
Four educators participated in a marathon interview session Wednesday.
“It was a very good day,” said Arno Bergstrom, the Kitsap County WSU Extension director who is heading the search committee. “We have four really good candidates, and we had a good public turnout” of about 50 people.
The candidates are Pamela Roberts, a Quilcene resident who has served as interim director since Baril’s retirement; Sue Wolf of Clallam Bay; Jerry D. Gibson of Abingdon, Va.; and Laura R. Lewis of Oella, Md.
During the all-day session, candidates told about their background and abilities, answered questions from the public and participated in open interview sessions with the search committee.
More input needed
WSU Extension Assistant Director Randy Baldree said it was hard to predict how long the process would take because more input is required.
Jefferson County Commissioner David Sullivan estimated it would be around three weeks before an announcement is made.
Sullivan said the committee has much to do before making the final decision.
“This is a big-league selection process,” he said. “We still need to do more research and contact references.”
The rest of the process
Baldree said the public part of the hiring process is over, and the remainder will occur behind closed doors.
Once the search committee decides on a candidate, it will contact that person and negotiate salary and employment terms. Once the contract is signed, an announcement will be made, and the unsuccessful candidates will find out at that time.
Baldree would not state a salary range, saying pay will be based on a candidate’s skills and experience.
Baril, who directed the Extension office for 20 years, was making $65,000 at her retirement.
Bergstrom said the new director will face problems now familiar to many in both public service and business — such as being asked to perform more services with fewer resources.
Candidates
Roberts, who ran the Jefferson County 4-H program prior to becoming WSU Extension interim director in January, has worked in the education field since 1986.
She earned a master’s in education and educational leadership and policy studies in 1993, a master’s in music performance in 1980 and a bachelor’s in music in 1978, all from the University of Washington.
Roberts, the only applicant from Jefferson County, is a former professional musician and has owned and operated a tree farm for 30 years.
Wolf, who has a doctorate, is the community planning and economic development director for the Makah tribe in Neah Bay.
Her background includes community planning for land grant programs and a conservation district; teaching and developing curriculum in environmental planning, environmental science and botany; research experience in the laboratory; and field work.
The other two candidates, both of whom have doctorates, are from the East Coast.
Gibson is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., and has experience in agricultural education at the high school and university levels.
Lewis is an assistant professor of biogeography for the University of Maryland, College Park.
She earned her undergraduate degree in agriculture from Washington State University in 1996.
She has experience conducting research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington state and California and has worked with farmers in Central and Eastern Washington who manage fruit trees and cereal crops.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.