Skidmore appointed health director

COLFAX — Whitman County commissioners appointed Chris Skidmore as the permanent county health director after serving as interim director since November.

“I just want to thank you for the opportunity to serve,” said Skidmore. “I see some good things happening for the county.”

Commissioners reviewed other applicants before deciding to appoint the director.

“We thought he’d be a really good appointment permanently,” said county commissioner Art Swannack. “I believe he’ll do an excellent job into the future.”

Skidmore worked for the county since 2014, serving as environmental health director before becoming deputy health director for a year before director Troy Henderson left. Henderson accepted a job with the U.S. Department of Defense in Germany.

Skidmore holds a bachelor’s of science degree in molecular genetics from WSU, where he later worked in plant science research for seven years and then spent four years as a volatile organic chemist with Anatek Labs in Moscow.