Mike Noblet begins a six-year term as a Fire Commissioner for South Whidbey Fire/EMS. He replaces retiring Commissioner Kenon Simmons whose term expired in 2019 after 38 years of service with the department.
“I have big shoes to fill, and I welcome the opportunity,” said Noblet. “I will work to assure that the district secures the required number of firefighters, EMTs, the equipment they need, and the support staff necessary to see it that all runs smoothly.”
A former mayor of Bothell, Noblet has extensive experience in public service. He offers fluency with emergency preparedness from applied training in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), expertise with local governance from serving eight years on the Bothell City Council, and general knowledge of the public sector as holder of a Master of Public Administration from the University of Houston.
While with the City of Bothell, he promoted the complete rewrite of the city’s emergency preparedness plan, and helped facilitate construction of a state-of-the-art police station and emergency command center.
He and his wife Karen moved to Whidbey Island in 2004. He owns a business where he coaches first-time candidates who contemplate running for public office and continues serving them by managing their campaigns. He was inspired himself to run for Fire Commissioner in 2019, and is excited to serve the local community.
“My priorities are to support Chief Rusty Palmer’s leadership, to attract and retain firefighters, both paid and volunteer, to secure funding to replace and maintain aging fire trucks and equipment, and to play an active role in hiring a replacement when Chief Palmer retires,” said Noblet.
