Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue appoints Stuart McKee as newest commissioner

LAKE WENATCHEE — Stuart McKee has been appointed to fill one of two vacant seats on the Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue (LWFR) Board of Commissioners.

McKee will fill the vacancy left by former commissioner Mick Lamar, who resigned last month. The district will make a second appointment to replace retiring commissioner Mike Payne on July 16.

McKee was one of six candidates to apply, a turnout that is unprecedented for the fire district, according to Payne.

All six candidates were interviewed in front of a packed crowd during a July 7 public meeting. Key discussion topics included a need for public transparency, fiscal responsibility and firefighter safety in a district challenged by restricted budgets, seasonal tourism, and a growing population.

“We felt that [McKee] was their best qualified candidate based on his answers to the questions. He understands the fire department. He also understands the process of running the commission,” said Payne.

McKee is a volunteer firefighter and EMT for LWFR and has previously served as the Chief Information Officer for the State of Washington. In his role as CIO, McKee said he directed large scale public safety infrastructure modernizations, managed a $150 million annual operational budget, and provided statutory oversight for $600 million annually in statewide technology allocations. In his bid for commissioner, McKee said he planned to bring transparency and accountability, with a focus on long-term planning.

“We can balance future capital expenditures with immediate operational needs by implementing rigorous multi-year financial modeling,” McKee suggested, such as forecasting fleet rotation and facility maintenance.

As part of his new appointment, McKee and fellow commissioner Bill Gibbs will appoint one of the remaining five candidates — which includes Michel Colwell​, Jan Hanson, Rebecca McMillian, Matthew Oaks and Mike Stanford — to fill Payne’s vacancy on July 16. 

With about 25 years of local experience, Stanford said he brings decades of operational knowledge and understanding of district needs. His priorities include firefighter safety, public transparency and upgrading aging facilities and equipment.

Colwell, an LWFR Auxiliary member, has career experience managing taxpayer money and multimillion dollar budgets for the Washington Department of Corrections. He is focused on long-term strategic planning for financial stability and improving volunteer recruitment and retention.

While Oaks acknowledges that his related experience was limited, he notes that his distance would bring a needed sense of neutrality to the district, adding that he is a Christian first and a leader second. His number one priority is taking care of people.

Hanson offers decades’ experience working as a chief operating officer and chief executive officer, highlighting strengths in corporate asset management, data-driven decision making and financial analysis. 

McMillian has a similar background as a chief operating officer and a corporate vice president in large biotech companies, but also brings operational experience as volunteer EMS for the district. McMillan said she has a commitment to transparency, balancing operational priorities with long-term needs and practicing good stewardship of resources.

The appointment is expected to be made during the regular commissioner meeting held at 10 a.m. on July 16 at Station 91.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media