Board of Commissioners

Sam Irons was elected to serve on the board in 2025. Irons grew up in the Arlington and Granite Falls communities and has made Mount Vernon her home since 2021. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and law and justice from Central Washington University. Irons brings a strong background in direct service, care coordination and community advocacy. Over the course of her career, she has supported youth, families and older adults through roles with the Snohomish County Juvenile Justice Center, Cocoon House long‑term youth housing, Compass Health WISe and the Northwest Regional Council’s aging and disability resources and TSOA program. She also previously served on Compass Health’s Health Equity Committee, contributing to efforts that promote equitable access to behavioral health services. Irons continues to stay actively engaged in the community and currently serves as a member of the Mount Vernon Arts Commission.

Gary Shand was elected to serve on the board in November 2017 and took office in January 2018. A longtime resident of Skagit County, Shand was a community member serving on the Skagit Regional Health Strategic Planning and Transformation Committee for two years before his election to the board. Shand served in the U.S. Air Force and spent 29 years with the Washington State Patrol, followed by nine years with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office. He works part time as the secretary/chief examiner for the Skagit County Civil Service Commission. He is a member of the Skagit‑Mount Vernon Rotary Club.

Peter Browning joined the board in January 2016. He has been involved in health care and public health for much of his career, serving as the Skagit County director of public health for 18 years. For several years, he was the chief executive officer of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce. In 2020, he was elected to the Skagit County Board of Commissioners representing District 1. Browning holds a master’s degree in cultural anthropology. He has served as past chair of the Washington State Association of Public Health Officials, has been on the YMCA, United Way and Arthritis Foundation boards, and is a member of the Skagit‑Mount Vernon Rotary Club.

Bruce Lisser of Mount Vernon was appointed to the board in April 2008. Lisser previously served on the Board of Commissioners from 1996 to 1999. He is retired from Lisser & Associates, PLLC, in Mount Vernon. He is a former member of the Skagit‑Mount Vernon Rotary Club, is past president of the Mount Vernon Rotary Club and Skagit County Housing Authority, and a past board member with the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation and Washington State Hospital Association.

Barbara Jensen was elected to the board in 2025. A longtime resident of Mount Vernon, she brings more than 30 years of clinical practice, healthcare leadership and nursing education experience to the Board of Commissioners. She holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Seattle Pacific University and a master’s degree in healthcare business administration from Western Governors University. Jensen has an extensive history of board service, including roles on the Board of Trustees for the Association of Community Cancer Centers (2018–2021) and the Skagit Regional Health Foundation (2017–2021). She also served as president of the Hospice of the Northwest Board of Trustees. In 2023, she was selected to fill a vacancy on the Lake Chelan Health Board of Trustees.