Letter: Conservation Board leaders served well

Published 1:30 am Saturday, May 16, 2026

Editor,

It’s been my pleasure to serve for the past six years on the Whidbey Island Conservation District Board of Supervisors with two outstanding leaders, Gary Ketcheson and Mark Sytsma, whose supervisor terms end later this month.

Gary, a retired forest hydrologist, has been our district auditor and has worked closely with the Finance and Operations manager to ensure our financial transactions are accurate and transparent. Mark, professor emeritus in Environmental Science from Portland State University, served as vice chair and led our Associate Supervisor program.

These leaders have each completed two supervisor terms and are now moving on to serve the community in other ways. Gary is a Master Gardener and volunteers with more organizations than I can easily count; Mark is on the Island County Noxious Weed Board and is a leading local voice on combating harmful algal blooms (HABs), especially the distressing annual Lone Lake bloom. Our board will continue to oversee the district with great care, but we will miss the expertise and professional generosity Gary and Mark brought to each meeting. The district staff and I thank Gary and Mark for their service and wish them all the best in their next endeavors.

David Edwards

Chairperson

Whidbey Island Conservation District Board