BY DICK DORWORTH
Voters using the Democrat ballot in the May 17 primary election will have three choices for the Blaine County commissioner District 2 seat, currently held by Jacob Greenberg.
In addition to Greenberg, Gary Brower and Kaz Thea have filed for the position. Whoever wins the May primary will likely be the District 2 commissioner, since no other candidates have filed for the post.
Commission District 2 encompasses most of Hailey and the mid-Valley area. To the north, incumbent Angenie McCleary has filed for re-election to the commission District 3 post. The only other candidate for the position is Mickey Garcia, who filed as an independent. Since there are no inter-party contests, the District 1 race will be decided in the November general election.
Blaine County’s District 1 commissioner post, encompassing south Blaine County and currently held by Larry Schoen, is not up for election until 2018.
Gary Brower
Brower said in an interview that he decided to run for county commissioner “because I’ve wanted to do more than what I’ve been doing, and I’ve long wanted to be in public service.”
Brower, 45, moved to Blaine County 11 years ago from Davis, Calif., where his family has a history of employment in the public sector.
If elected, Brower said he will “give back to the community by being a voice of moderation, seeking the middle ground with positive, practical solutions to Blaine County issues.”
“I know I can do a good job and I’d like to give it a try,” he said.
Brower was born in Vallejo, Calif., and studied exercise science pre-medicine at the University of California, Davis. Since moving to the Wood River Valley, Brower has worked in the banking industry and as a part-time supervisor for SkyWest Airlines.
“I’m experienced in the airport culture, which is an asset for a Blaine County commissioner,” Brower said.
Brower owns his own eBay retail company, Gnubay LLC, and works in the Blaine County Clerk’s office. He has been married for 11 years and has two grown stepchildren, ages 23 and 29.
Brower said he has an “open door” attitude and anyone is free to contact him through his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BlaineCountyIdaho.
Jacob Greenberg
Greenberg is currently chairman of the Blaine County Board of Commissioners. He was appointed as commissioner by Gov. Butch Otter in 2012 to replace resigning Commissioner Tom Bowman.
This is Greenberg’s first election. He has said in the past that his primary strength as a public official is that “I call it like I see it.”
“I am not a politician in the usual sense of the term, but I have the ability to make decisions,” Greenberg said. “Even people who disagree with me and the decisions I make have faith in my due diligence and my willingness to do the legwork to get the job done.”
In a press announcement, Greenberg stated that his primary goals include “the preservation of the natural environment, conservation of natural resources, fiscal responsibility, economic development, and community safety.”
He stated that “his accomplishments as commissioner include positive decisions on Land, Water and Wildlife Program projects and support of reduced fees and streamlined processes for solar installation permits.”
Greenberg was born in Haifa, Israel, 62 years ago and has lived in the Wood River Valley for more than 30 years. He has owned and operated three restaurants, including Shorty’s Diner in Hailey, and a construction company as well as a small-business consulting firm. He and his wife Jeanne have two grown sons, Joshua and Jeremy.
Kaz Thea
Kaz Thea said that: “I am humbled by the opportunity to take part in this democratic process. It is important to me that we exercise our freedom to make our voices heard and make a difference in our community.”
This is Thea’s first run for public office. Her background in volunteer and professional social/environmental activism includes being manager of the Wood River Farmers’ Market, co-founder of Idaho’s Bounty, bike-pedestrian coordinator for Mountain Rides Transportation Authority and working as a professional wildlife biologist.
Thea said she is “dedicated to conserving our natural resources in this beautiful valley, while acknowledging the need for smart, sustainable growth.”
“I support the youth of our valley, having co-founded and currently directing Kids Mountain Fund, providing scholarships for kids to participate in our valley’s diverse and extensive active outdoor programs,” she said.
Thea said she is in favor of promoting solar energy and consolidating local fire departments.
Her website, https://kazforcommissioner.ruck.us/, states that: “Water is a critical resource and will get even more limited in supply as the climate warms and our snow pack decreases. We must look at real ways to conserve.”
Thea was born in 1961 in New York City and raised in Scarsdale, N.Y. She attended college at the University of Vermont and graduated from The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Wash., where she studied environmental science and education. She has a master’s degree in natural science from the University of Idaho.
She is married to Kurt Nelson, district ranger for the Ketchum Ranger District. Their 13-year-old son, Kai, is in the seventh grade at Community School. Thea is stepmother to Nelson’s three grown children, Justin, Keets and Lars.