Cooper bows out of ORCAA, Clouse rises to vice chair

Thurston County preserved its leadership presence at the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) after Commissioner Emily Clouse ascended to the vice chair seat following the resignation of Olympia City Councilman Jim Cooper after 13 years on the board. 

Jefferson County Commissioner Greg Brotherton won election as board chair, moving up from the vice chair position he held before a vote on the positions. 

The ORCAA Board of Directors unanimouosly approved both moves during a meeting on Thursday, Dec. 10. 

Brotherton nominated Clouse for vice chair, citing the importance of geographic accessibility for the six-county agency. 

"Having someone in Thurston County or one of the cities around here in leadership creates accessibility that I think is a challenge sometimes at a six-county organization," Brotherton said. 

Clouse will also head the finance committee under the same arrangement that puts the vice chair in charge of the panel. 

Legislative fix 

Cooper, who did not seek reeelction to the Olympia City Council this year, used his final meeting to call for a statutory change in how cities are represented on the ORCAA board. 

Current state law assigns seats to the three largest cities in the agency’s jurisdiction, a formula that has put all city positions in the hands of Thurston County. 

"The way the rules are written in RCW (Revised Code of Washington) results in us having our three city representatives all be from the same county," Cooper said. "If there's any talk of opening the clean air rules, it would make sense to try and look for a way to distribute that around the region." 

Cooper urged board members to raise the issue with legislators if discussions open up around clean air funding or other policy changes. 

Cooper served 12 of his 13 years leading the board and attended nearly all of the roughly 130 meetings held during his tenure, missing only one or two in the past four years, according to ORCAA Executive Director Jeff Johnston. 

Leadership impact 

Johnston, who joined the agency four years ago without prior local government experience, reflected on his working relationship with the outgoing chair. 

"When I was hired as the executive director, I had a lot of relevant experience, but I had never worked in local government, never worked with a board," Johnston said. "Your guidance, your mentorship, has been really important." 

ORCAA Communications Manager Dan Nelson said Cooper outlasted his predecessors in the Olympia seat and put the six-county region ahead of his own city's interests. 

The agency's legal counsel offered a similar take. Attorney Jeffrey Myers of Law, Lyman, Daniel, Kamerrer & Bogdanovich said Cooper kept his passion for the mission in check with fair handling of different viewpoints at meetings. 

"What has impressed me is your ability to balance a great passion for the mission of the agency with a sense of even-handedness and willingness to listen to all points of view," Myers said. "You always made sure that there was inclusion for all points of view." 

Other commissioners chimed in with similar remarks on Cooper's impact. Brotherton said Cooper's example shaped how he approaches his own work as an elected official, while Clallam County Commissioner Mike French called Cooper a "master" of meeting facilitation. 

"Often when you're chairing a meeting, you're focused so much more on the mechanics of the agenda than the discussion," French said. "It's really hard to be involved in a discussion and to have opinions sometimes when you're chairing." 

Mason County Commissioner Randy Neatherlin recalled arriving at ORCAA ready to oppose the status quo after winning his election as "the change candidate." 

"I came into this room with my hands up, ready to fight," Neatherlin said. "I jumped in quickly to make sure that there wasn't going to be anything or any change, because I was so impressed with that year and how it was run." 

Neatherlin said Cooper earned his highest compliment. 

"You are extremely competent, man," Neatherlin said. "I mean that literally, and I'm impressed with your competence, and always have been, and I'm honored to have served with you." 

Pacific County Commissioner David Tobin echoed the sentiment, calling Cooper the best chair he has encountered across multiple boards. 

"Of all the boards that I serve on, you are by far the very best chair that I've seen," Tobin said.