A shoutout to the commissioners of Clallam Public Utility District #1 for appointing Phyllis Bernard as their new commissioner.
I attended their meeting when they interviewed the candidates and I’m very pleased with the decision.
I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Phyllis Bernard during the pandemic.
She was teaching classes at Peninsula College.
While she has always had empathy for her students who are negatively impacted by lack of access to technology and the internet, the pandemic exacerbated the divide by highlighting the extreme lack of reliable and dependable internet access for the students living in her district.
She is highly motivated to work toward a resolution of continuing issues and facilitate solutions that are sustainable and embedded in our system.
She believes in the power of education and that online learning allows individuals to learn while maintaining close proximity to their family and home, and it provides flexibility for work and family commitments for those who work digitally from home.
She strongly believes this option should be available to everyone in her district.
Reliable access to electricity is essential for this to happen.
She is intelligent, collaborative and compassionate.
She looks at issues from a variety of perspectives and works toward reasonable, responsive solutions.
She does not take things at surface value; she researches facts and is adept at interpreting data.
She is running for re-election this fall. She brings a fresh and new perspective to the position.
She will do the work that needs to be done to best serve Clallam County.
Dianna Chiabotti
Port Angeles