The Port of Poulsbo named Ken Thomas, a former city councilor, as its commissioner, however, Thomas needed to back down from the role due to a family emergency.

Thomas initially accepted the role as the port’s Position 2 commissioner when the offer was extended to him at the Sept. 3 meeting but ultimately rescinded the offer a few days later due to an unexpected family emergency that will require Thomas to move to Arizona temporarily.

“Some very urgent family matters emerged in the last couple of weeks, soon after I applied for the position. It’s going to require me to relocate to Arizona for about a year,” Thomas said. ” I am disappointed that I won’t be able to serve on the port commission. I was really looking forward to it.”

Thomas would have taken over the spot left vacant by Mark DeSalvo, who resigned after allegedly vandalizing a memorial to Stonechild Chiefstick, a Native American man shot and killed by Poulsbo police at Murial Iverson Williams Park.

The port planned to name a new commissioner at a special meeting Sept. 11 at 9:30 a.m.

Port Commissioner Mark Singer noted that the port had received a significant number of qualified applicants for the position.

“Outstanding group of candidates. I love the amount of people that showed interest. It was just fantastic to see that the community wants to be involved and that so many people actually applied,” Singer said.