WhidbeyHealth Board Unanimously Appoints Katherine Nelson to One of Two Vacant Seats

The WhidbeyHealth Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed Katherine Nelson of Coupeville to fill one of two currently vacant seats, the board announced after a special public meeting where four finalists were interviewed. Nelson is described in board materials as a Coupeville-based attorney and a health-care dispute arbitrator.

Board documents show the appointment came at a special public meeting the board called to consider multiple candidates; those records list four finalists in the running. The meeting notice contains the date phrasing "Monday, Feb. 23–24, 2026," a notation that is ambiguous in the record, but the board’s action to appoint Nelson is recorded as unanimous.

Nelson’s selection follows interviews that included at least one other named finalist, Henry Veldman of Freeland. Veldman is listed in the finalist packet as a retired health care insurance administrator and was interviewed by the commission alongside Nelson and other candidates. Public materials also indicate that at least one finalist had a nonprofit affiliation, though the board packet available to reporters truncates that individual’s full description.

The board’s appointment fills one of two vacancies on the commission, leaving a second seat listed as currently vacant in the same set of meeting materials. The record provided to reporters does not make clear whether the second vacancy was filled at the same meeting or will be addressed in a separate action, and the board’s formal minutes are expected to clarify vote language and any additional appointments.

WhidbeyHealth’s special meeting and the slate of four finalists follow the board’s recruitment process to restore full membership after recent departures. The publicly posted finalist list identifies Nelson by her law practice and arbitration work and identifies Veldman by his longtime career in health care insurance administration and residence in Freeland.

The board’s minutes and any subsequent press release should provide the term length Nelson will serve, the expected swearing-in date, and whether the commission completed a roll-call vote. Those items were not available in the meeting excerpt distributed with the finalist materials. Reporters will seek Nelson’s comment on her priorities for WhidbeyHealth and clarification on the timeline for assuming the seat once the board posts finalized minutes.