Veteran lobbyist named to state parks panel

Mark Brown, longtime legislative lobbyist for the city of Vancouver, has been named by Gov. Chris Gregoire to serve on the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, beginning immediately.

Brown, 61, lives in Lacey and is the president of Connections Public Affairs, which has public and private sector clients throughout Southwest Washington.

He is the former mayor of Lacey and also was director of the state Department of Labor and Industries. Over the past 15 years, he has been a key player in efforts to preserve historic and recreational assets at the Vancouver National Historic Reserve.

He takes the seat vacated by Kelly Punteney of Vancouver, who resigned. His term will run through December 2016.

The seven-member commission sets policy for the Washington State Parks and Recreation agency, which manages a diverse system of 117 parks, including long-distance land and water trails and statewide programs such as winter recreation and boating safety. It holds public meetings six times a year at locations around the state.