The two Port commissioners who will choose a successor to longtime commissioner Jack Thompson, who died in October, have seven candidates to chose from, with widely diverse experience and skills sets.

All seven candidates — six men and one woman — will be interviewed at a public meeting Nov. 26, and commissioners Phil Papac and Stan Pinnick are expected to make their selection Nov. 27.

The commission has three members, each representing a geographic area of the county. District 2, which Thompson served, includes Aberdeen and the South Beach area.

Here is a rundown of the candidates, based on their letters of interest submitted to the commission.

• Ed Brewster of Aberdeen served as president of Grays Harbor College from 2004 to July 2016. He has a long history in education dating back to the late 60s and serves on the boards of several local organizations, including the Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council, and the Aberdeen Rotary.

“Since retiring from the college, I have considered ways that I might serve the community in a different capacity,” he wrote in his application. “As a Port Commissioner, I would have an opportunity to help bring the interests of the community to the Port, work well with the other commissioners and Port staff, collaborate well with businesses and other community members, and assist with the economic development of Grays Harbor.”

• Robert M. Ford III of Aberdeen is a local architect who taught architecture for decades, first at the University of Illinois, then Washington State University, and in 1975 he was invited to help establish a new School of Architecture at Mississippi State University, where he retired in 2005.

“Teaching architecture and concurrent travel (Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Jamaica) with additional five-month sabbatical travel (Europe, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, England, Scotland, Sweden and Norway) gave both historical and current appreciation for the role of ships, shipping, and the diverse countries and ports from which they sail,” wrote Ford. “Having now reached a unique stage of life, my hope is to contribute these developed skills, understanding and abilities to benefit my fellow man, our environment, and our own Grays Harbor economy, through service as District 2 Port Commissioner.”

• Thomas O. Quigg of Aberdeen is a commercial/industrial real estate professional with Windermere. Quigg also has maritime experience, 15 years with GrayMar Services Inc., as president and manager of the maritime services and real estate development company. He also was president and manager of the ship bunkering service Grays Harbor Pacific Corp., and was president, manager and shareholder of marine construction company Quigg Bros.-McDonald, Inc., and Twin Harbor Dredging Company in the late 60s and 70s.

“My business skill set aligns closely to the mission statement of the Port of Grays Harbor. Being a board member with large responsibilities is not new to me. It is my belief that my knowledge of the history of the Port of Grays Harbor, and its past and present priorities would be of value to the Port.”

• John Thomas Shaw of Aberdeen is the current executive director of the Westport-South Beach Historical Society, which operates the Westport Maritime Museum and the Grays Harbor Lighthouse.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 30 years since I moved to Aberdeen to start a boat building business as a Port tenant,” wrote Shaw. “The Port of Grays Harbor plays an important role as a driver of economic development in our county. I believe I have an understanding of the various private, governmental and tribal entities that need to work together in maximizing that development. I am a salesman at heart and enjoy working with people and groups and finding consensus.”

• Peter J. Schave of Aberdeen was elected to the Aberdeen City Council in 1991. He was born and raised in the area and worked primarily in the timber industry, building logging roads and operating heavy equipment.

“I have been inspired by Jack Thompson for many years. I might not have thought to apply if not for him,” wrote Schave.”Our Port of Grays Harbor board has done a good job, so I would step into Jack’s shoes with pride. I feel I still have something to offer our community, and the Port Commission would be a new and interesting challenge. I was born and raised in this community and I want to see it prosper and provide jobs that interest our young people to want to stay here.”

• Kim Roberts of Aberdeen is the founder/owner of TRG Investments and the Westport Winery. She has experience in the maritime industry, working once as a Westport shipyard design consultant, and as a charter boat captain and crew member in the 70s and 80s. She is a licensed underwater investigator, dive master and advanced pilot.

“In watching the fluctuations in the work at the Port of Grays Harbor, especially in the past decade, I have been impressed by their efforts to seek out unique partnerships that meld well with local labor forces while preserving natural resources of our community,” she wrote. “I am appreciative of their heartfelt commitment to the Port’s mission of regional economic development, partnering to develop local and international trade, enhancing and planning for tourism opportunities that benefit both citizens and visitors, and natural resource protection where needed, enhancement where appropriate, and supporting harvesters, when sustainable.”

• Robert Parnell of Westport was elected to the Westport City Council in 2014. He is a retired civil engineer, starting his career with the Army Corps of Engineers in 1966. In 1993, he founded RN Parnell Company, a civil engineering consulting firm.

“I believe my formal education, technical, management, political and executive experiences and talents provide me the tools to work with the Port Commissioners and executive staff to provide leadership to further the Port’s mission and priorities. My experience in program marketing and project sales would be useful as we look to expand existing partnerships and enhance the land based and marine based infrastructure.”