Commissioners | SE Thurston Fire Authority

Commissioner Jonathan A Sprouffske, Chair

JonathanSprouffske-bio Sub Region 1, Position 1 | Elected: 2007 | Term Through: 2019

Occupation: Attorney and Shareholder at Connolly Tacon & Meserve, P.S., Christmas Tree Farmer at Sprouffske Trees, Inc.

Education: Saint Martin’s College, B.A. with honors, Business Administration, B.A. with honors, Theatre Arts, Seattle University School of Law, Juris Doctorate

Community Involvement:

2014 Member of the Bylaws and Resolutions Committee –
Washington State Fire Commissioners Association
2013-2014 President-Elect of Gateway Rotary Club
2011 Charter Member of Gateway Rotary Club – Thurston County
2010-Present Member of Rotary International
2007-Present Team Captain of Connolly’s Crew Relay for Life Team (Ranked #31 in the nation out of more than 250,000 teams in 2013)
1999-2007 Volunteer Firefighter/EMT – SE Thurston Fire and EMS

Awards:

2009 – 2013 Pro Bono Publico Service Commendation – Washington State Bar
2012 Graduate of Distinction – Rainier High School, 2010 – Sword of Hope Award – American Cancer Society
2008 Board Member of the Year – Saint Martin’s Alumni Association
2008 40 under 40 – The Business Examiner
2007 National Member – The Order of Barristers
2004 Volunteer of the Year – Saint Martin’s Alumni Association

Jonathan has lived in Thurston County since 1982. He has been married to his wife Shelley Sprouffske since 2007. Together they have three children, Thomas, John Paul & Alexander. When he’s not working or volunteering, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his family, participating with the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life, taking his sons geocaching, and visiting Washington State Parks.

Personal quote: “My focus for the department has been to continue to make the department more efficient during these tough economic times. I feel honored to serve in this position and give back to the community that provided me so much support growing up.”

Commissioner Steven Slater, Vice Chair

slater Sub Region 3, Position 2 | Elected: 2005 | Term Through: 2017

Email: sslater@setfa.org

Occupation: Deputy Fire Chief-Bald Hills Fire Department #17

Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Associates of Fire command Administration, Blue Card certified Incident Command, Fire Officer 2, Instructor 2, Public Information Officer, Incident Safety Officer, Emergency Medical Technician

Community Involvement:

Member St. Columban Catholic Church
Life Member Veterans of Foreign Wars
Life member National Rifle Association
Test Control Officer
Senior Evaluator for firefighter testing and certification
President, Thurston County Fire Commissioners Association, 2014 to present.

Steve has lived in Thurston County for 16 years. He has been married to his wife Chong for 34 years. Together they have two children and five grandchildren. When he’s not working or volunteering, Steve enjoys outdoor adventures, fishing, hunting, clamming, home repairs/handyman activities, and honing his shooting/marksmanship skills.

Personal quote: “I have enjoyed serving the fire service for over 37 years, including 20 years retiring as a USAF Firefighter”

Commissioner Dave Shepherd

Dave-Shepherd Sub Region 1, Position 2 | Appointed: 2010 | Elected: 2011 | Term Through: 2017

Email: dshepherd@setfa.org

Commissioner Stewart Kunkel

Stewart-Kunkel Sub Region 2, Position 1 | Elected: 2007 | Term Through: 2019

Email: skunkel@setfa.org

Occupation(s): Fire Fighter for City of Renton, Breathing Air Compressor Mechanic, Owner of Junkel’s Welding

Education: Mercer Island High School, Bellevue College

Community Involvement: Prairie Baptist Fellowship

Stewart has lived in Thurston County for nine years. He has been married to his wife Kimberly for 27 years and together they have four children. When he’s not working or volunteering, Stewart enjoys restoring tractors, trucks, cars and equipment, and woodworking.

Personal Quote: “Our response time is the lowest we have ever seen in our community. SETFA is a hard working and caring organization that does a lot with a little.”

Commissioner Jeff Dehan

jeff-dehan-bio-photo Sub Region 2, Position 2 | Appointed: 2015 | Term Through: n/a

Email: jdehan@setfa.org
Occupation(s): Law Enforcement Deputy for Thurston County Sheriff’s Office
Education: Bachelors of Science Degree in Finance from Seattle University. Numerous middle management and executive level leadership courses during my tenure at the sheriff’s office

Community Involvement:

· Saint Columban Catholic Church member
· Past president for Citizens for Yelm Public Schools
· Former Little League coach
· Lions Club member
· Special Olympics Fundraising committees
· Supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters
· Supporter of Boys and Girls Club of Thurston County

Jeff has been a member of the Yelm Community for over 30 years. He and his wife Chrissy were married in 1993 and have raised their three children in this beautiful community on the family hay/cattle farm. Chrissy stays busy as a real estate agent helping folks finding their dream home. During their free time, Jeff and Chrissy love traveling. Jeff also enjoys hiking, golfing, hunting, and family time

Personal Quote: “We have a wonderful community here in the Yelm/Rainier area. I’m committed to make sure our Fire/EMS continues to grow and keep up with the expansion to make sure we are meeting our community needs”.