Port of Moses Lake names new director
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 6 months AGO
The Port of Moses Lake has selected a new executive director. Dan Roach will take over as director at the facility which includes an airport, several industrial clients and a variety of economic opportunities for the region.
FILE PHOTO
Dan Roach will take over as executive director of the port of Moses Lake on April 16.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | April 8, 2024 5:45 PM
MOSES LAKE — The Port of Moses Lake has selected Dan Roach as its new executive director, port commissioners said at their meeting Monday.
Roach served as a Washington state representative from Bonney Lake for 10 years and as a Pierce County commissioner for eight, according to Interim Executive Director Kim DeTrolio. Most recently, he served as the executive director of the Lake Tapps Association. He is also a licensed real estate agent.
Roach attended the meeting via online video chat, and said he anticipated a lot of work to be done when he takes the reins April 16.
“We’ve got the fire hose ready (for you to drink from),” said Port Commissioner David “Kent” Jones.
Roach developed an appreciation for the Moses Lake area more than 10 years ago, when he worked with then-Reps. Janea Holmquist Newbry and Mike Armstrong on a rail project for the port.
“When I learned all about the Port of Moses Lake and the opportunities and the cheaper energy, the location on I-90. I just thought it had amazing potential,” Roach said. “So from that point, I just kind of followed Moses Lake for a long time.”
Rail is still a priority, Roach said.
“A lot of these projects are pretty time-consuming,” he said. “A lot of the funding was received way back in '15 or '16, but you’ve got environmental impact statements and right-of-way and everything else. So it's a long-term project, but we're moving on that one. I'm excited about that.”
Roach said he was surprised to see how much of the port’s capacity filled up relatively recently, and he expects to put in a lot of work on infrastructure to accommodate the growth.
He’s been keeping a toehold in the area in the meantime, he said.
“My wife and I bought some recreational property out there almost 20 years ago, so we've been coming in and playing during the summers,” he said.
Roach has been married for 25 years to Melanie Roach, who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in weightlifting. The Roaches have five children, of whom two are still in school. Those two will stay on the west side until the school year is done, Roach said.
“I'm excited about being a part of Moses Lake in the community,” he said. “One of my first things to do is start meeting people and get acclimated and make those relationships. And I'm looking forward to it.”
Joel Martin may be reached via email at [email protected].
Dan Roach will take over as executive director of the port of Moses Lake on April 16.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake author’s book, “A Christian Woman Striving to Live Her Faith in a Man-Controlled World,” takes aim at the role to which many churches relegate the female half of their congregations. “It’s to encourage women in the faith,” Linda Curran said. “A lot of churches say, ‘Teach Sunday school, do this, do that, but don’t (evangelize.)’" In her book, Curran recounts a time when she moved to a new community and joined a church there. She was surprised to learn that, as a new female member, she had been automatically assigned church cleaning duties. When she questioned it, she wrote, she was met with condescension and her objections were brushed aside. In other churches, she said, women who were capable of teaching were relegated to “women’s ministry.”