A new face will soon be running the day-to-day operations of the Port of Coupeville.

After a round of interviews, the commissioners for the Port of Coupeville named Tim McDonald as executive director for the small port district that oversees operations at the Coupeville Wharf and Greenbank Farm.

McDonald will start his position as executive director Dec. 1 and will work alongside current executive director Jim Patton for one month. That way McDonald can familiarize himself with the port’s operations before Patton’s contract expires at the end of the year.

McDonald has a long history working in Island County government. He was the county director of health and human services from 1987-2008. He was most recently the director of the division of communicable diseases and emergency preparedness for the Snohomish Health District. He finished working for the Snohomish Health District in March.

“There were so many interesting projects the port is involved with,” McDonald said about his decision to apply for the position. He described the Coupeville Wharf and Greenbank Farm as “jewels.”

“They’re just fantastic facilities,” McDonald said.

He was one of three people who applied. Bill Larsen, who is a drug and alcohol counselor along with candidate for the commission for the Port of Coupeville, and Bruce Bottolfson applied for the position.

Commissioners interviewed the three candidates late Friday afternoon before unanimously selecting McDonald for the position.

“Of all the candidates, he was the most knowledgeable,” said Marshall Bronson, president of the commissioners for the Port of Coupeville.

McDonald will work under a two-year professional services contract. He is negotiating the terms of the contract and it will be presented at an upcoming meeting. He will spend a month working with Patton to learn about the day-to-day parts of the position.

“Between now and then, I’m going to be learning a lot about the position,” McDonald said.