WHIDBEY: Attorney appointed to hospital board
Kira Erickson reports from the Island County Board of Health meeting of Mon., Feb. 23, 2026, for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
Summary by Perplexity AI
The WhidbeyHealth hospital district board unanimously appointed Coupeville health dispute arbitrator and attorney Katherine Nelson to fill one of two vacant board seats, following a public interview of four candidates. The other finalists — Henry Veldman, Roxanne Kroon Shepherd, and Kristina Hines — were encouraged to apply for the remaining vacancy, which will be filled later in 2026. The two openings arose after James Golder and James Canby resigned last month following a contentious meeting in which they voted to fire CEO Nathan Staggs, only to reverse course after medical staff rallied in support. Nelson will serve until the 2027 election.
They Said It
At the end of the meeting, Board President Marion Jouas said that the regular meeting on Feb. 26 will be very full.
