Island County Budget Director Elaine Marlow has relinquished her role as clerk of the board after 12 years of service.

She will continue to serve as the county’s budget director and general services director.

The clerk role will go to Deputy Clerk Debbie Thompson, who was groomed the past several years to succeed Marlow.

“Debbie is ready,” Marlow said.

The roles of budget director and clerk of the board for Island County have traditionally been a combined position, even before Marlow took the job in 2001.

Thompson, with the county for nearly 25 years, worked in the Island County prosecutor’s office for 18 years before moving departments to work as deputy clerk of the board.

Thompson said she believes her experience wearing multiple hats in the prosecutor’s office prepared her for the complex role of board clerk.

Thompson said she her tutelage under the recently retired Chief Civil Deputy Dave Jamieson was the best training she could have had. Known as a “walking encyclopedia,” Jamieson provided advice to the board on a number of different issues until he retired earlier this year after 37 years.