The Lincoln County Commission has chosen two men out of nine applicants to join them in governing the Lincoln County Port Authority, and encouraged the other seven to sit tight and reapply as future opportunities emerge.

Ted Werner and Tony Petrusha emerged at the top of the list of applicants that also included Laura Garner, Jeff Koskela, Janelle Lacefield, William G. “Bill” Clark (Bill), Paul Bunn, Charles F. McFarland and Dave Etienne.

County Administrator Darren Coldwell noted that most of the applicants were closely ranked, and Commissioner Mark Peck said he “was pleased in the number of good candidates” — sentiments that kicked off a discussion of how they hoped the pool would still be interested in being considered for future Port Authority opportunities.

These opportunities could include two additional positions on the board the new bylaws are expected to account for, and openings on anticipated sub-committees that have not yet been defined.

The Commission held off on voting to appoint Werner and Petrusha pending their acceptance of the roles.

Coldwell said Thursday via email that Werner had accepted, while Petrusha had questions that Peck would discuss with him.

The selection of the two board members follows discussions and decisions the Commission began Nov. 29, when it signaled it was time to restructure how the Port Authority is managed to improve the site’s viability.

The Commission voted unanimously Jan. 24 to revamp how the Port Authority is governed.