LACEY — Lower Elwha Police Chief Sam White has been appointed to the board of directors of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

White will be part of the leadership team of the 14-member executive board.

Board Chair Craig Meidl, who is also the Spokane Police Chief, appointed White on March 16 to the board of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).

“Chief White’s appointment as an executive board member reflects his great work and the respect our state’s sheriffs and chiefs have for him,” said Steven D. Strachan, WASPC executive director.

“His addition to our board will strengthen our relationship with our sovereign nation tribal partners.”

White was named to an unexpired chief-at-large term and will stand for re-election to a full three-year term in May 2021.

White is a member of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and has a 25-year career in law enforcement. Born in Port Angeles, he has served several Olympic Peninsula police departments and was named chief of the Lower Elwha Police in March 2019.

“It is a huge honor to serve on the WASPC board as a tribal chief of police and as a Native American,” White said.

“I look forward to working with the board on issues affecting law enforcement today such as transparency, best practices, community-oriented policing and rapidly evolving legislative law.

“I hope to affect legislative law to make government-to-government partnerships and relationships easier for tribal and non-tribal governments.”