Board of Governance
The VRFA’s Board of Governance consists of the Mayor and two council members from each participating City. This nine-member board serves as the legislative body, guiding and overseeing the VRFA, an independent municipal corporation.
Algona
Vice Chair Troy Linnell
Mayor of the City of Algona
Lynda Osborn
City of Algona Councilmember
Bill Thomas
City of Algona Councilmember
Auburn
Chair Nancy Backus
Mayor of the City of Auburn
Larry Brown
City of Auburn Deputy Mayor
Tracy Taylor
City of Auburn Councilmember
Pacific
James "Vic" Kave
Mayor of the City of Pacific
Eric Petersen
City of Pacific Councilmember
Kerry Garberding
City of Pacific Councilmember
Administration
Brad Thompson
Fire Chief / Administrator
The Fire Chief of the VRFA is Brad Thompson, appointed by the Board of Governance effective August 16, 2021. Thompson oversees the daily activities of the VRFA, ensuring the efficient and economic administration of the organization. He also ensures the staff is on course to meet strategic plan goals and remains consistent with the mission, vision, and values of the VRFA.
Thompson joined the Legacy Auburn Fire Department in April of 1999. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Gonzaga University and is a University of Washington Certified Public Manager. Early in his career, Thompson set out to gain experience in varied areas of the fire service. He served on the Public Information and Education team, the Health and Wellness team, and the fire station design committee. After promoting to captain in 2011, Brad served as a Medical Program Specialist Team and Technical Rescue Team Company Officer. He then spent three years as the Planning Captain in the VRFA Planning and Logistics Division.
In 2018 Thompson was promoted to Battalion Chief, and in 2019, he accepted the Deputy Chief of Operations position. He worked on developing effective succession planning, as well as local and statewide health initiatives. In addition, Brad served as the King County Zone 3 Operations Chiefs’ Committee Chair, working along neighboring agencies to streamline regional processes.
Fire Chief Thompson receives administrative and management support from two Deputy Fire Chiefs, a Chief Financial Officer and Human Resources Manager. Each is responsible for oversight of divisions within the VRFA, including the Fire Marshal’s Office, Training and Safety Division, Public Education and Information Unit, Planning and Logistics Division, Information Services group, and six administrative support personnel. Four shift battalion chiefs supervise fire and EMS personnel.
Rick Olson
Deputy Chief of Operations
Rick Olson serves as the Deputy Chief of Operations. In this role, he works with the shift battalion chiefs to oversee the daily emergency response, preparation activities and training for the Fire Authority. Olson began his career as a firefighter in 1999 with the Auburn Fire Department, now VRFA. After seven years, he moved into the position of captain and took on several challenges. Olson developed and maintained a wildland firefighting program for the VRFA, served in the role of Planning Division and EMS Training Division Captain, and received 2014 Fire Officer of the Year honors. In 2019, he was promoted to Battalion Chief, and two years later, he became the Deputy Chief of Operations. He has served on the committee to select engines, aid units, and most recently a new ladder truck since 2014. Olson is also a part of the Zone Three Wildland Training and Incident Command Committee and holds a Bachelor of Science in Fire Administration from Columbia Southern University.
Tim Day
Deputy Chief of Community Risk Reduction
Tim Day is the Deputy Chief of Community Risk Reduction. Tim oversees Support Services, the Fire Marshal’s Office, Emergency Management, and Public Education and Information. Tim began his fire service career with the City of Auburn in 1996. During his initial 20 years at the City of Auburn and VRFA, Tim worked in multiple operational and administrative roles as a firefighter, Captain, and Battalion Chief, and served as Deputy Chief of Technical Services from 2015 to 2017. Tim then left the VRFA in 2017 for the City of Kirkland where he served as Deputy Chief of Operations for five years before rejoining the VRFA in April 2022. Throughout his career at VRFA and Kirkland, Tim has worked on multiple local and regional committees. Tim has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, a Masters of Public Administration from Seattle University, and completed the Executive Fire Officer Program from the National Fire Academy. Outside of work, Tim enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Mark Horaski
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer Mark Horaski oversees the finance, human resources, information technology, risk management and administrative functions. Mr. Horaski began employment with the VRFA in 2007. He has over twenty five years of professional experience including several years of public accounting with a regional CPA firm, and public safety budget and finance oversight at the county level. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in business and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Washington. Mr. Horaski is an active member and past President of the Auburn Rotary.
Sarah Borden
Human Resource Director
Human Resource Director Sarah Borden began working for the VRFA in 2014. She brings years of professional experience in both healthcare and government, having worked in a variety of specialty areas in the human resources field since 2003. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management.