Finke is first choice for conservation board seat

In a unanimous decision, the Washington County Conservation Board decided to recommend Linda Finke of Crawfordsville as a conservation board member to the Washington County Supervisors, during a special meeting Thursday afternoon.

The board interviewed three potential candidates. The others were Kim Prier of Ainsworth and Lee Carlos Wilson of Brighton.

All three were excellent candidates, said Chairman Craig Capps. He also told the other two to not give up. Capps said he tried to be appointed to the board three times.

Capps also said that the board had to comply with a gender balance regulation, a state regulation. He also said that the board tries to have members from all over the county. The retiring board member, Liz Kaufman, is from Ainsworth, and she was one of two women on the board. There are three men on the board.

After interviewing the candidates, the members wrote down their first, second and third picks. All four of the board members present selected Finke as their No. 1 choice.

Capps said their choice will be passed along to the Washington County Board of Supervisors. The supervisors will make the final decision on who the fifth member of the conservation will be.