Bruce McComas was elected to the hospital board in November 2017 and assumed office January 2018. He was born and raised in Anacortes and has lived all but 3 years of his life in Washington State. He earned both a Chemical Engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Washington. Bruce and his wife, Teri, moved to Jefferson County in 1981. He worked in the pulp and paper industry for over 40 years, mostly in supervisory and management roles, including serving as General Manager for Port Townsend Paper Corporation. He took early retirement in 2014 to care for Teri as she battled cancer.
Bruce has been an active volunteer in the community, having served on the school board for 7 years, the hospital financial advisory committee for 9 years, on the founding boards for the Jefferson County Education Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County, and the Jefferson Community Foundation, where he served as its first president. He also served on other community service organizations; Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, and the Law & Justice Council. After his wife passed away in 2016 he has been a volunteer on the hospital’s Oncology Support Team, The Patient & Family Advisory Council, and the Patient Financial Experience Task Force.
As a patient advocate for his wife, Bruce learned first-hand what’s good and what can be improved in the local healthcare system. He believes that people want access to quality, affordable healthcare close to where they live and that it should be easier to understand and navigate the system. Using his professional business experience, along with this patient advocate experience, Bruce will work to continue improving the quality and scope of services provided by the District while increasing access and affordability for all patients while maintaining financial stability, to the benefit of all Jefferson County citizens. Bruce welcomes your comments and feedback. Commissioner McComas’ current term expires 2023.