Peter J. Goldmark
American rancher, wheat farmer, geneticist, firefighter and politician / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Peter James Goldmark (born August 4, 1946) was the 15th Commissioner of Public Lands of Washington, head of the Washington Department of Natural Resources, from 2009 to 2017. He is a Democrat from a rural part of Okanogan County, Washington, outside of the town of Okanogan.
Peter J. Goldmark | |
---|---|
15th Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands | |
In office January 14, 2009 ā January 11, 2017 | |
Governor | Christine Gregoire Jay Inslee |
Preceded by | Doug Sutherland |
Succeeded by | Hilary Franz |
Personal details | |
Born | Peter James Goldmark (1946-08-04) August 4, 1946 (age 77) Okanogan, Washington, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Georgia (deceased), remarried to Wendy |
Children | 5 |
Residence | Okanogan, Washington |
Alma mater | Haverford College (BA) University of California, Berkeley (PhD) |
Occupation | Rancher and Wheat farmer |
Profession | Molecular Biology |
Website | www.petergoldmark.com |
Goldmark has placed a lifelong emphasis on agriculture, science, education, and public service. His primary career experience includes ranching in Eastern Washington; over thirty years of volunteering to fighting wildland fires; and a PhD in molecular biology. He has published papers in national and international scientific journals on plant molecular genetics and currently runs a wheat breeding program for crop improvement.[1]
In 2008, Goldmark won the election for Commissioner of Public Lands against incumbent Doug Sutherland in a tightly contested race. The major focus points of his campaign for Public Land Commissioner include preventing forest from being converted into strip malls or development; encouraging sustainable timber practices to maintain steady income and areas of recreation for the state; cleaning up Puget Sound; promoting the use of biofuels; effective wildland fire management; and maintaining clean water for drinking, salmon habitat, and shellfish harvesting. He was succeeded by Hilary Franz after the 2016 election, where he did not run.