The two commissioners voted Wednesday to appoint Andreas Blech to the position, filling a vacancy left by former Commissioner Dan DeYoung who stepped down earlier this month.
Blech was chosen during a public interview on Wednesday, beating out two other finalists.
He owns commercial property in Grants Pass and a gravel mining operation north of there in Sunny Valley. During his public interview on Wednesday, Blech said his immediate start date means he鈥檒l have a lot of catching up to do.
鈥淚鈥檓 not gonna be the fastest in the race on the first day or the first week," he said. "But, given the opportunity, I will learn. I鈥檓 a quick learner, I read and I do seek advice from people that know more than I do about particular subjects.鈥�
Blech was favored by commissioners because of his previous experience on three advisory boards, including the Grants Pass Airport Advisory Board, the County Charter Review Committee and the county Mining Advisory Committee.
鈥淧robably one of the most important things that I think Andreas has done lately is sit on that charter review board," said Commissioner Herman Baertschiger. "Because I know he understands that charter from one end to the other now.鈥�
Having someone with any county rulemaking experience is helpful, since they鈥檒l have to hit the ground running. Blech is expected to begin attending meetings on Thursday.
He鈥檒l remain in the position until a permanent replacement is elected by voters in November. Blech is not among the four people running for two open commissioner seats. Commissioners Baertschiger and John West specifically chose to appoint someone who wasn't already running, to avoid giving them a head start in the election.
