Bennett named to Port 2

Commissioners of Port District No. 2 on Tuesday selected Puget Island resident Allen Bennett to fill a vacancy on their three-person board of commissioners.

Commissioners interviewed two candidates, Bennett and Mike Backman, also of Puget Island.

Bennett is a retired geologist and comes off a 30-year career in the US Navy, Naval Reserve and private business. During his career, he worked with large port districts in the US and abroad, helping direct multi-million dollar budgets. As a port commissioner, he said he would want to promote the port's tourist facilities and look into what could be done to boost local businesses, including establishing a business incubator.

Backman comes off eight years as a member of the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners where he worked with county budgets and on a variety of activities focusing on economic development. He also wanted to boost marketing of port district recreational facilities and enhance business opportunities, including setting up classes to train workers.