McLane Black Lake Fire Department
Board of Fire Commissioners
Commissioner Dale Putnam
Mr. Putnam has 35 years’ experience in state government and private sector management with 25 years at a senior level. His experience includes management of information technology, various manufacturing functions, overall responsibility for a 500+ person manufacturing organization, and project management experience coordinating two company consolidations and implementing a number of major computer applications.
His education and training include a Bachelor of Science in Sociology, a Master of Business Administration, serving as a Baldrige National Quality Award examiner for two
years and as a Washington State Quality Award senior examiner for six years. He has made presentations at national conferences, instructed a college course on Management Information Systems, taught numerous quality improvement and personnel management classes while serving in state government, and has had nine papers published in national trade magazines or conference proceedings.
Mr. Putnam is active in the community, was chairman of the OBee Credit Union board of directors for several years and is presently on both church and Providence St. Peter Hospital committees. His fire service experience includes six years as a volunteer firefighter in District #13 with three years as a lieutenant, serving as a Fire Commissioner in District #13 for three years, serving as a Fire Commissioner in District #9 for thirteen years, serving as chairman of the Thurston County Fire Commissioners Association for one year, and serving as a trustee for that association for over 10 years.
Commissioner Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson has served as a Fire Commissioner for Thurston County Fire Protection District 5 since January of 1998. His leadership has helped assure the district has the resources needed to provide skilled, cost-effective emergency services to the residents of the District. Mark has been instrumental in adding Career firefighters, improving mutual aid agreements with neighboring Districts and improving facilities and equipment. In his continued efforts to provide the best possible, most cost-effective service to the residents of the district, he has supported the Consolidation of Thurston County Fire District 5 with Thurston County Fire District 9, now known as the McLane
Black Lake Fire Department.
Mark is Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and a life-long Olympia resident. He is a proud University of Washington Alumnus and avid sports fan. Mark enjoys spending time with his wife Barb and two daughters. Mark also enjoys exercising, socializing with friends, travel and photography.
Commissioner Len Albert
Commissioner Albert has lived in Washington since 1976, with the exception of a three-year assignment to Stanford University for research. He and his wife of 30 year have lived in the fire District since 1988. Commissioner Albert served as a Volunteer Firefighter for Black Lake Fire Department for 16 years and as a medical consultant to a-number-of volunteer fire departments in Mason County. He has served non-profit groups within the community for the past 20 years and ran a successful business for 30 years.
Commissioner Mark Campeau
Commissioner Campeau joined the US Navy in 1976 where he became an Electricians Mate 1st class. After leaving the Navy in 1982, he served as an Electrician and First Responder for the Satsop Nuclear Project. In 1983 he was hired by Tacoma Power-Cushman Hydro as a Hydroelectric Plant Electrician. He later promoted to the job of Real Time Energy Trader, for Tacoma Power and is currently Assistant Section Manager, Real Time Energy Trading at Tacoma Power.
His experience in the fire service dates-back to his time in the US Navy where he was part of the Damage Control/ Firefighting team on a fast attack submarine. After leaving
the Navy, his fire service experience continued as a First Responder for the Satsop Nuclear project. In 1994, he began volunteering with McLane Fire Department where he served for five years, before separating from the district at the rank of Lieutenant Firefighter.
Returning to McLane Fire Department in 2000, Commissioner Campeau joined the District as a Fire Commissioner. He served for eight years, before being elected to the Olympia School Board of Directors. Following his service to the Olympia School Board in 2018, he was appointed by the Board of Fire Commissioners to fill a vacancy. He ran and was elected to fill the two-year unexpired term of this position 2019-2021. Commissioner Campeau holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from Washington State University.
Commissioner Jason Foust
Jason is an Assistant Attorney General in the Public Lands and Conservation Division for the Washington State Attorney General. Prior to his current role, Jason was a criminal prosecutor and later worked in private practice. Jason holds a B.A. in Political Science, a J.D., and an LL.M. in Environmental Law.
Previously, Jason successfully completed Thurston County Fire Academy and served for a short time as a volunteer firefighter with the McLane Black Lake Fire Department until a health issue prevented further participation in firefighting activities.
In his spare time, Jason enjoys mountain climbing, skiing, surfing, motorcycling,
playing guitar, and spending time with his wife, their rescue German Shepherd, and five chickens.