PNNL manager, coach and former Boy Scout leader picked for Richland council spot

The Richland City Council picked a 44-year-old project manager to replace a longtime councilman.

The council voted unanimously to appoint Damon “Shayne” Van Dyke to fill the open seat left by Councilman Phil Lemley when he resigned in June.

Van Dyke, a deputy project manager at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was one of three finalists interviewed Tuesday afternoon.

The other candidates, KaeRae Parnell and Gregery Levy, were also interviewed in the open meeting. All three have ties to Hanford.

Van Dyke told the council he was looking for an opportunity to serve the city that he and his wife had raised a family in.

While living in the city, he had worked with the Boy Scouts of America, coached baseball, basketball and soccer.

“I want to serve,” he said. “I want to give back.”

Van Dyke said his priorities are similar to those the council already has put effort into, including addressing homelessness, crime increases and preserving infrastructure in the city.

The council has invested in all of these, Van Dyke said. These efforts include working to move the homeless from city property and supporting a treatment center for mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

“I think we have to be able to help protect the values that we have, but we’re also charged with loving our neighbors and I think there’s some neat approaches to take that to crime.”

Van Dyke also placed a high importance on listening, saying that having a diverse group of opinions available is important. But he admitted there have been times in his work that he has made mistakes by assuming that he was right.

He also emphasized the importance of respecting the opinion of others.

“I’m not shy. I think that when you ... have the respect to butt heads with people, you can make progress,” he said. “I welcome the opportunity to discuss with people difficult issues.”

Van Dyke will serve until November 2023 when he will have to run to be elected for the position if he wants to keep the seat. Van Dyke said he plans to serve the entire term and run for election.

The position pays $1,231 a month.