Editor’s note: The following is a press release from King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn.

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn and the King County Council on Tuesday appointed two Enumclaw residents to county commission positions: Judi Puttman as the Drainage District 13 Commissioner and Leann Krainick as a King County Agricultural Commissioner.

“I’m very pleased that we were able to find such quality candidates for both positions” Dunn said. “Both Judi and Leann are community leaders with deep wells of experience which they can draw from. They are both able to provide the county with expertise and a feel for the community’s needs, the latter of which can often be neglected.”

Drainage District 13 is a special purpose district that maintains a community drainage ditch in Krain which has been vital to the area’s conservation of farmland, draining excess water into the nearby Bass Lake.

“There is no greater honor than following in my family’s four-generation legacy of caring for our land and continuing a third-generation responsibility to serve as a Commissioner in Drainage District 13,” Puttman said.

Dunn worked with Troy Hall, another Drainage District Commissioner, to identify potential candidates after the passing of John Joseph Millarich, the previous Commissioner of Drainage District 13. With the support of the drainage district, Reagan nominated Judi Puttman, whose family first homesteaded in the area in 1891. Judi will be the third generation of Puttman to hold the title of Drainage District 13 Commissioner.

The King County Agriculture Commission works to bring together representatives from the agriculture community to make policy recommendations to the County Executive and the Council. This vital voice provides input on issues like drainage, farmland assistance, livestock programs, code and regulation changes, and more.

As a dairy farmer from Enumclaw, Leann has served the community on several agricultural boards since 1999, including the Washington Dairy Council, the Washington Farm Bureau, the King-Pierce Farm Bureau, and a stint as Chair of the King County Agricultural Commission. Her dairy, with over 4,000 cattle and 14,000 acres of farmland, has been a regional leader and innovator in agricultural sustainability, working with local breweries to take on their grain waste and turn it into feed for the cows, as well as composting waste from the cows to make sterile livestock bedding.

“I am looking forward once again helping preserve farms, farmers, and farmland in King County,” Krainick said. “There are many challenges to local agriculture, and policy makers need to know the best way to support farmers in the community. In addition, education of the public is a critical component.”

Legislation appointing Judi and Leann were unanimously approved at the King County Council’s December 12, 2023, meeting.