Lewis County Fire District 5 in Napavine announced the selection of a new chief Monday after a years-long leadership shakeup following the terminations of former Chiefs Dan Mahoney in 2023 and Brent Adams in 2024.
At the Lewis County Fire District 5 Board of Commissioners meeting on June 23, the board appointed Jonathan Beck to serve as the district's new fire chief.
Beck will take over from Interim Fire Chief Gregg Peterson starting on Tuesday, July 1.
Beck has significant experience and connections to Lewis County, having served 35 years with various fire departments in the state, including time as a volunteer firefighter with two fire districts within Lewis County.
According to a news release from Peterson, Beck first took his EMT training in Napavine roughly 25 years ago and first served as a volunteer firefighter with Lewis County Fire District 12, which is now the Riverside Fire Authority, and also served with Lewis County Fire District 14 in Randle.
Most recently, Beck retired from his position as a chief officer with the Whidbey Fire Department in 2023 after serving with the department for 19 years.
Beck was one of two candidates being considered for the position. He was ultimately selected over his fellow finalist, Cristopher Gibbons, who has nearly 40 years of experience working in public safety, mostly in Missouri.
Both were part of a meet-and-greet event hosted by the district early last month to give community members a chance to participate in the selection process.
Though Peterson has been praised for his interim leadership of the district, the district has struggled to find a permanent leader over the last two years.
In June 2023, the district’s board of commissioners voted to terminate the contract of Mahoney. No reason for the termination was provided, and a statement from the board said they voted to terminate Mahoney “without cause.” Mahoney had served as chief of the district since he was first hired in 2019.
Less than a year later, the district selected a new chief, Brent Adams, in January 2024. The district terminated Adams’ contract a few months later in May, again with no explanation.
