Mark Ozias is the chairman of the Board of Clallam County Commissioners in 2017.

Randy Johnson is the vice chairman, commissioners decided Jan. 3 in their first votes of the year.

Commissioner Bill Peach was absent because he was participating in a monthly meeting of the Board of Natural Resources in Olympia.

The chairman of the board conducts weekly business meetings and shepherds discussion in weekly work sessions in Room 160 at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St.

All three commissioners serve on or act as a liaison to dozens of state and local advisory boards and commissions.

Ozias, a Sequim Democrat who is entering his second year in office, served as vice chairman last year and chaired several meetings on behalf of former Commissioner Mike Chapman, now a state representative for Legislative District 24, which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.

Johnson, a Port Angeles independent who was sworn into office Dec. 27, nominated Ozias as chair and himself as vice chair.

“I wasn’t sure how that was going to work out,” Ozias said of the vice chair nomination.

“That’s fantastic. I would be very pleased to second that motion.”

Peach, a Forks Republican who is entering his third year in office, had said he was supportive of the board proceeding with the nominations in his absence, County Administrator Jim Jones said.

Because two commissioners represent a quorum, board members cannot discuss county business outside of a public meeting.

Later in the meeting, Ozias and Johnson approved a resolution designating commissioner involvement on a laundry list of advisory boards.

All commissioners serve on the county Board of Health, Finance Committee, Olympic Area Agency on Aging and as members of the Washington State Association of Counties, according to the resolution.

Individually, Ozias will serve on 13 advisory boards and commissions.

Johnson was appointed to 10 boards, while Peach was appointed or reappointed to 15.

Ozias thanked Johnson for taking on “important work” on committees such as the Olympic Consortium Board and Peninsula Regional Transportation Planning Organization.

“I will work to provide you with all of the information and resources and whatnot that I have on both of those committees to do everything possible to help get you up to speed,” Ozias said.

In other board action, commissioners appointed former deputy clerk Alanna “Loni” Gores as clerk of the Board of County Commissioners.

Former clerk Trish Holden became a full-time Clallam County public records officer last week.

Rob Ollikainen is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.