Lacey Fire District 3 operates under the legislative authority of five fire commissioners, each elected to six-year overlapping terms. The Board of Fire Commissioners is responsible for establishing key policy, setting levies, developing and adopting the annual budget, reviewing and approving contracts, and appointing a fire chief. The Board meets the first and third Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Station 31. The meetings are open to the public. Changes to the meeting schedule and Meeting Agenda will be posted at Headquarters Station. Meeting Minutes will be made available by request to 491-2410.
Rick Kelling was appointed to the Board of Fire Commissioners in March 2021.
Rick is a retired Army officer, husband, and father of three. His wife of nearly 30 years, Jennifer, is a teacher at Meadows Elementary and their youngest is senior at River Ridge High School. Rick and Jennifer both hail from California and have lived and traveled extensively while in the military. He and his family moved to the Lacey area in 2017 to live far enough away from the “city hustle” but close enough to his last military assignment working with the Washington National Guard.
Rick is an active member of the community and has a vested interest in the area’s development for the long term. He is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys traveling, camping, bike riding, and hiking. He is an avid reader and volunteer at many levels
Frank Kirkbride has been active in the Lacey community, serving on several community boards, committees and task forces. He chairs the Board of Directors for Coastal BSG, a subsidiary of the community rehabilitation program “Morningside,” and served 18 years on the Lacey Historical Commission. Commissioner Kirkbride is active in Lacey Rotary, Lacey Rotary Foundation, is a Trustee of the Washington State University Foundation and a member of Board of Directors, Mt. Rainier Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Initially appointed to the Lacey Fire District 3 Board of Fire Commissioners in 2000, he served through 2009. After a couple years off the Board he was elected in 2011, and is now serving his second consecutive term which began in 2018.
Frank graduated from Washington State University as a Landscape Architect. He worked with Washington State Department of Highways/Transportation for ten years prior to starting his consulting firm in 1979. Frank is the President of The Kirkbride Group, Inc, a Lacey based real estate development and investment company.
Sylvia Roberts was first appointed to the Board of Fire commissioners in April 2015. She was re-elected in November 2019 for her second term. Sylvia was born and raised in the Olympia/Lacey area, graduating from St. Placid High School. She went on to receive a B.S. from Gonzaga University, M.ED. from the University of Washington, and administrative credentials from Seattle Pacific University. Sylvia spent over thirty-seven years in education serving as a special education teacher, Director of Special Education, Middle School Principal, Executive Director of Human Services, and retiring as Deputy Superintendent of Snohomish Schools.
Sylvia’s experience includes considerable involvement in school district levy and bond campaigns, contractual negotiations, and community outreach. A particular passion of Sylvia’s is outreach to the senior citizen community. Sylvia gladly spent many years as a caregiver to her parents and others in the Lacey/Olympia area.
Sylvia currently resides at her family home in Lacey. Her daughter, a surgeon, lives with her family in the Sacramento area.
Liberty Hetzler was elected to the Board of Fire Commissioners in November 2017.
A Thurston County native, Liberty is a graduate of Olympia High School and South Puget Sound Community College. She has resided in Lacey Fire District Three for 17 years.
For the last ten years, Liberty has worked alongside other community leaders to successfully advocate for Lacey’s annexation into Fire District Three. She also helped pass a bond to update emergency services and a levy lift to fully staff all fire stations within the district.
Liberty has two children, and is the co-owner of a small chain of car washes in the Puget Sound region that employ over 80 people. She loves serving her community, enjoys traveling and staying active by hiking, backpacking or anything outdoors.
Melissa Gamble was appointed to the Board of Fire Commissioners in December 2020.
Melissa is a lifelong resident of the Lacey/Olympia area. Married to her middle school sweetheart, they are raising three children. After graduating from Timberline High School in 1997, she attended the University of Washington and received a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology. She then attended Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR and earned a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies. Mellissa has practiced as a PA in Family Medicine for the past 14 years, including 7 years at JBLM and most recently at Providence in Lacey.
Having a passion for community service, Melissa has been involved in many activities over the years, from visiting seniors in nursing homes, providing medical care to underserved populations in Ecuador, to coaching volleyball and soccer for the YMCA.
She enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, camping, gardening, playing volleyball, and watching football, especially UW, her alma mater.