Three individuals were appointed on Wednesday to the Park City Fire Service District Administrative Control Board.The Summit County Council made their selection from a pool of 10 candidates, who were interviewed during their Nov. 14 work session.
Dianne Walker, who has served on the board since 2009, was reappointed. Jay Dyal and Christina Miller were also appointed to serve on the board through 2016.
Walker has served on numerous boards and capacities, including the RAP Tax Board, the Utah Connections Academy Board and the board for TechnoImaging LLC, a company that uses electromagnetic imaging to search for oil reserves under the ocean floor. Walker also taught at the University of Utah Graduate School of Business
Walker said serving on the Fire District Board has been fascinating.
“I’ve learned a lot,” she said. “It’s been a really interesting transition from a corporate governance role into a public entity like this, and I’ve learned what a fantastic organization the Fire District is. It’s very much a paramilitary type structure, which was very new to me.”
Walker recommended that when looking for expertise for the board, the County Council should consider appointing a firefighter.
“There are some things that are a science, like station housing,” Walker said. “The chief can talk about that for 20 minutes and we’ll all glaze over. But if you have a firefighter, they’ll know exactly what he’s talking about, and exactly what is optimum staffing. I’ll eventually learn that if I’m reappointed, but it’s one of the nuances of the organization.”
Dyal served as a firefighter, EMT and Public Information Officer for the Eagle River Fire District in Eagle County, Colo. from 1990 to 1994. Previous to the Fire District, Dyal worked for the U.S. Department of Defense as a lieutenant aircraft firefighter and for Salt Lake City Corporation as a fire department media specialist.
Councilmember Chris Robinson asked how being an EMT firefighter and PR person for a fire district would help him on the board.
Dyal responded that he has had the best professional experience on both sides.
“I think it helps to understand the operational side of a district, as well as making connections to the business side and the civilian side,” Dyal said. “I find that if you are not aware of what the needs are on one side, it will be difficult to correlate how to bring them together.”
Dyal said that he enjoys being involved in the community, rather than watching others participate. “I like to jump in and help.”
Christina Miller owns Miller Law Group and serves on the Sheriff’s Advisory Committee.
“If I’m going to donate my time to something, or participate in something, I want it to be meaningful,” Miller said. “In this organization, you are doing something, you are getting things done.”
Robinson asked how Miller’s background would benefit the Fire District Board.
“If you know me from around town, I was born without a filter,” Miller responded. “I tend to represent the party I want to represent, and I never give legal representation that is dependent on who’s popular in town. It doesn’t matter to me what the community thinks of what we’re doing. It matters that we believe in what we’re doing.”