The Commissioners
The Board of Commissioners are a five-member board of elected officials that guide the fire district. Commissioners serve six-year terms as direct representatives of area residents. Each commissioner lives within the fire district.
Their job is to provide governance, stewardship, and oversight in the service of the best interests of Joyce’s citizenry. Members may also serve under appointment, temporarily filling vacancies. All Commissioners must take an oath to perform their duties according to the protocols, ethical codes, and policies according to state laws. Because they live in the district, the Commissioners bring an understanding of the District’s strengths and challenges to the decision-making process.
Historically, the CCFPD4 Commissioners have been fiscally conservative and frugal. By carefully analyzing and identifying funding sources, formulating annual budgets, and maintaining fiscal integrity, the Board strives to make the best use of funds collected from residents’ property taxes and from other revenue sources. Because of careful fiscal management, the District has no long-term debt, and maintains a healthy reserve fund to preserve the ability to provide services should it experience a sudden loss of normal revenue streams. Financial audits performed by the Office of the Washington State Auditor have shown that that the District is in compliance with state laws.
Commissioners stay current of the expectations of their job by attending regional or statewide conferences sponsored by the WFCA (Washington Fire Commissioners’ Association). The topics of the conferences range from recent changes in laws pertaining to fire districts, to how to govern strategically, or to create fiscally sound budgets. The conferences also give the commissioners a chance to mingle with other commissioners and learn about how they deal with various situations facing their districts. By staying updated and aware, the commissioners can make the best choices for Clallam County Fire Protection District No.4.
Ben Pacheco, Chairman of the Board
Marcus (Ben) Pacheco has been a Clallam County Fire Protection District No. 4 Fire Commissioner for 18 years. For the last few years, he has been the Chairman of the Board. Before and during his time with Joyce Fire, he ran a successful Construction company for 13 years. He is now semi-retired so he can focus primarily on both his farm and Joyce Fire. In 2002, Ben and his wife came to the area with the desire to be a part of, and help, the community. Both enjoy this role and try to give as much as they can. Ben received a Wildlife Biology degree from the Colorado State University. The degree helps immensely in understanding several aspects of his role as Commissioner; especially when it comes to forestry and the importance of logging to bring timber taxes to our district and the community. Ben looks forward to what the future has in store for the District and the Community.
Sam Nugent, Vice-Chairman
Sam Nugent has been a Commissioner for the Clallam County Fire Protection District No. 4 Board since 2009. He has been a resident of the District since 1995. He is currently employed as the Marketing Director for Wilder Auto, and before that was the creative director with the Peninsula Daily News. He originally came to the Olympic Peninsula in 1985 after graduating WSU to work as Director of Overseas Imports from 1985-1998. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration and has successfully completed several Masters level classes in Public Administration. Sam’s hobbies are art and woodworking. He is looking forward to spending more time working on art projects when he retires. When asked what he considers to be the best part of being a fire commissioner, Sam says it is knowing that families and neighbors in the community have a reliable and rapid response to life threatening emergencies.
Lynne Kastner, Commissioner
Lynne has been a commissioner for the Clallam County Fire Protection District No. 4 since August of 2019. Prior to becoming a commissioner she worked in the general accounting field for various companies such as General Motors, Hewlett Packard, Professional Association of Diving Instructors and Costco before she and her husband moved to the Joyce community. She is currently employed with Clallam Transit System on a part time basis. Her formal education includes an Associates of Arts Degree in Business Administration. Within these last few years she has witnessed the inner workings of Fire District #4 and has come to appreciate and admire the skill and training obtained by the personnel within this organization and is proud to be a part of its success while representing the community. Her hobbies include gardening, line dancing, yoga, hiking and beading.
Bruce Leiper, Commissioner
Bruce has served the Clallam County Fire District No. 4 Board of Commissioners since his appointment in early 2022. He became a property owner and resident of the Joyce community in 2001 while continuing to work overseas as an administrator for international schools. He holds a master’s degree in education administration and held posts as an elementary, middle school and high school principal in both public and private schools. Responsibilities throughout his 36-years in the field of education included school reorganization, curriculum writing, program and policy development, strategic planning, budget management, the supervision and evaluation of personnel, school counseling, conflict mediation, and the publication of numerous newsletters and handbooks. He and his wife returned to the US in 2014 and settled into the Joyce community. Earlier on, he served for a spell on the Crescent Water Association Board. In 2015, he joined the JEPP board and the Joyce CERT team and is still actively involved with both groups.
New Commissioner place holder
Raeann Leiper, Secretary to the Board of Commissioners
Raeann Leiper has been the Secretary to the Board of Commissioners since March 2022. She and her husband have had a home in the district since 2001 and resided here since 2014. Before moving here permanently, she was an elementary teacher/science coordinator working at international schools. She has been the President of the Joyce Fire Auxiliary since 2018. She does the publicity for the Joyce Daze Festival and manages their website and Facebook page. She also works with JEPP (Joyce Emergency Planning and Prep) and is currently helping to develop plans for opening and operating the Joyce Emergency Shelter. As secretary to the Board of Commissioners, she is responsible for minutes at the meetings and over-seeing financial transactions for the district. She also developed this website for the district. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and tending to her vegetable and flower garden.