ESD 105 welcomed Ellensburg resident Mark Grassel to its Board of Directors during the seven-member group's regular meeting on January 17. Mark is representing Director District 1, which includes the Cle Elum-Roslyn, Damman, Easton, Ellensburg, Kittitas, Royal, Thorp, and Wahluke School Districts.
The new board member has worked for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources as an orchard and vineyard manager since 2007. Mark’s duties involve overseeing 14,000 acres of state land that is farmed to benefit school construction. He has been employed with the Dept. of Natural Resources since 1988, and served as a legislative intern for that agency during the 1992 state government session.
Mark’s wife, Donna, is a math teacher at Ellensburg’s Morgan Middle School, and their two daughters are both attending Ellensburg High School. He also has an older brother who is currently serving as a board member of the Parkrose School District in Portland, Oregon.
“I’m very pro-education,” says Mark. “I believe education is a very important part of any person in our society in being able to better themselves. This will be a good way to learn about the agency, and hopefully bring back some positive ways to use the ESD in the area I represent.”
Mark graduated from Parkrose High School in Portland, and obtained his bachelor of science degree in agricultural and resource economics from Oregon State University. He also holds a master of arts degree in agricultural economics from Washington State University.
Mark replaces Dick Wedin, who had served the ESD 105 Board from December of 2007 until this past fall, when he left just prior to his election to the Ellensburg School Board.
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