Hospital board seeking nominees again

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 3, 2026

The WhidbeyHealth board is seeking another candidate to fill a vacancy.

The board had two seats to fill after two elected hospital commissioners resigned earlier this year in the wake of a controversy over the momentary firing of the hospital CEO.

Following state law, the board has to go through the process of appointing new hospital commissioners one at a time. Last month, the board accepted nominations and interviewed candidates before appointing Katherine Nelson, a Coupeville attorney, to the board.

At a meeting last week, the board outlined the process for filling the second vacant seat. The board nominated Henry Veldman, a Freeland resident and retired health care administrator, to the position, a step outlined in law.

The board is also accepting nominations for the position. Registered voters residing on Whidbey Island have until March 16 to submit candidate nominations for appointment consideration.

The board will reconvene again on March 23 to make a candidate appointment decision.

The hospital board has five seats, representing the population of Whidbey Island. Board members are considered “at large” so they are accessible to the full community and do not represent any specific geographic location. Board of Commissioners candidates can reside anywhere on Whidbey Island.

For application, visit https://whidbeyhealth.org/board-of-commissioners.