The Port of Kalama Commission has named Alan Basso its new
District 2 commissioner, filling the vacancy left by the death of longtime commissioner
Jim Lucas.
Basso, whose appointment was announced June 14, assumed his
new role effective immediately and is expected to serve out the remainder of Lucas’
term, which ends next year. The contest for the District 2 seat will be part of
the November 2013 general election cycle.
“We had a very qualified group of interested citizens to fill
a vacant port commission position and (are) happy to announce Alan Basso is the
new District 2 Commissioner,” port commission president Randy Sweet said. “We thank
all of those who applied and encourage anyone interested to run for local office
in the next election.”
Basso is a long-time Kalama resident and currently is a lieutenant
and fire investigator with the Longview Fire Department as well as a part time juvenile
detention officer with the Cowlitz County Juvenile Detention Center. He graduated
from Kalama High School in 1980, earned a BA degree at Washington State University
in 1986 and received an AAS in Fire Protection Technology from Portland Community
College in 2010.
Lucas, the man Basso replaces, was a port commissioner from
1984 until he died April 4, 2012 from cancer-related health complications.
The Port of Kalama, which is located in southwest Washington
on the Columbia River, is 30 miles northwest of Portland, Oregon and about 120 miles
south of Seattle.
