Elected Washington Dairy Commission Board Members
Jason Vander Kooy (Chair)– District 1
Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, and the portion of King County located north of I-90
Kaleb Whitby (Vice Chair) – Washington State at-Large
The entire state
Jim Werkhoven – Western Washington at-Large
That portion of WA located west of the crest of the Cascade mountains
Dick Bengen – Eastern Washington at-Large
That portion of WA located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains
Lana Smaciarz – District 2
Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Kitsap, Mason, Thurston, Pierce, Lewis, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania, and the portion of King County located south of I-90
Dan DeRuyter – District 3
Yakima, Klickitat, and Benton County
Sharon DeRuyter – District 4
Kittitas, Grant, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, Asotin, Whitman, Adams, Lincoln, Spokane, Douglas, Chelan, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille County
Lynne Wheeler – Advisory Position
Nora Doelman – Advisory Position
Marissa Watson – Dealer Representative
Darigold
Liz Whitefield – WSDA Representative
Beginning in 2026, Washington joins Idaho, Utah and Oregon as part of the Dairy West, uniting dairy farm families across the region. By working collaboratively and sharing resources, Dairy West strengthens nutrition education, community partnerships and programs that highlight the benefits of real dairy—while maintaining a strong local presence here in Washington.
