Clark County mourns former Commissioner John McKibbin

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Vancouver, WA  ̶  Marc Boldt, chair of the Board of County Councilors, issued the following statement Thursday regarding former County Commissioner John McKibbin, who is presumed dead in a plane crash Wednesday in the Columbia River near Astoria, Ore.:

Our community has suffered a great loss in the death of John McKibbin. In his honor, flags at all county facilities will fly at half-staff for five days, starting Monday, March 28.

John was a tireless, dedicated public servant. He was a high school teacher. He served two terms as a 49th District representative in the state legislature, elected the first time only five years after settling in Clark County.

In 1978, John overwhelmingly won election to what was then called the Board of County Commissioners. In that capacity, he served a term as president of the Association of Washington Counties, a position later held by our former Commissioner Betty Sue Morris and even later, by me. John left office 26 years ago, but in the past several years, he has come back to help celebrate milestones in the lives of friends he made among county employees so many years earlier.

John was known for getting things done by bringing together people from all sides of an issue. Before the state Growth Management Act of 1990, he was one of the earliest proponents of managing the county’s growth. In that way, he laid a foundation for how to think about change and still maintain the best of what is Clark County. He was a true leader who worked for and spoke on behalf of the community.

His volunteerism and leadership never stopped when he left office. He gave his energy and expertise to Identity Clark County and Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce to help ensure a vital regional economy. He worked to secure housing for the needy with Habitat for Humanity, and he donated his natural leadership talents to those who will come after him through Leadership Clark County.

What I saw in John, and what I hope I learned from him, is to always display grace and courtesy to everyone, including county employees. I and the Clark County workforce will miss him. Our thoughts and prayers are with John’s wife, Nancy, and daughters, Jennifer and Megan.


CONTACT
Mary Keltz
Public Information and Outreach
(360) 397-6012 ext. 4
mary.keltz@clark.wa.gov