WhidbeyHealth seeks nominees for open seat by Feb. 17, 2026; Veldman nominated

WhidbeyHealth’s Board of Commissioners has opened a nomination window to fill one of two recent vacancies and plans to reconvene Feb. 17, 2026, to appoint a replacement. At the board’s most recent meeting commissioners nominated South Whidbey resident and retired health care administrator Henry Veldman for consideration, a procedural step the board says is required under state law.

The two open seats followed the resignations of commissioners James Golder and James Canby after a contentious meeting in which the three commissioners, Golder, Canby and Dr. Mark Borden, voted to fire CEO Nathan Staggs and then reversed that decision amid a large show of support for Staggs from medical staff. News reports summarized the episode this way: Golder and Canby “resigned from the board last month following a dramatic meeting at which they, along with board member Dr. Mark Borden, voted to fire CEO Nathan Staggs without explanation. They changed their decision after dozens of members of the medical staff came to the ongoing meeting in support of Staggs and harshly criticized the three board members.”

Board President Marion Jouas said the nomination of Veldman “the decision to nominate Veldman … does not give him an advantage over other candidates.” State law requires appointments to be made one nominee at a time, so the board will fill the seat vacated by Golder first and then restart the nomination process to fill the vacancy left by Canby; the newly appointed commissioner will participate in the vote on the second vacancy.

WhidbeyHealth’s official nomination packet and a Feb. 3, 2026 Instagram post confirm nominations were being accepted in early February. The hospital district’s packet instructs nominators to submit a written letter of recommendation or interest and a professional resume to John Gleason, Administrative Chief of Staff, via email with the subject line “Board of Commissioner nomination.” The packet notes that nominations will not be published by the board but that submitted documents are subject to public records requests under state law.

Some materials contain conflicting deadline dates. Multiple news reports and the Instagram post list Feb. 17, 2026 as the deadline and the reconvening date; the WhidbeyHealth packet elsewhere lists a June 13 deadline, including a line that specifies June 13, 2025. Given the discrepancy, residents should confirm the authoritative deadline and meeting date with WhidbeyHealth administration by contacting John Gleason at gleasj@whidbeyhealth.org or calling 360-678-5151. WhidbeyHealth Medical Center is located at 101 North Main Street in Coupeville.

Local opinion outlets are urging broader engagement. The WhidbeyWatchdog blog calls for “fresh blood” on the board, names incumbents Ron Wallin and Nancy Fey as facing re-election, and warns WhidbeyHealth may be “on the Brink of Financial Demise,” noting a May 17 filing deadline to become an election candidate. Those claims are framed as opinion and should be verified with county elections and the hospital’s financial reports.

For residents, the immediate takeaway is practical: registered voters who live on Whidbey Island who wish to nominate a candidate must submit a letter of interest and a resume to John Gleason, and anyone concerned about governance or hospital finances has an opportunity now to engage in the appointment process and upcoming election cycle as the board rebuilds its five‑member quorum.