Board of Governance
The VRFA’s Board of Governance consists of the Mayor and two council members from each participating City. This nine-member board serves as the legislative body, guiding and overseeing the VRFA, an independent municipal corporation.
Algona
Vice Chair Troy Linnell
Mayor of the City of Algona
Lynda Osborn
City of Algona Councilmember
Bill Thomas
City of Algona Councilmember
Auburn
Chair Nancy Backus
Mayor of the City of Auburn
Hanan Amer
City of Auburn Councilmember
Tracy Taylor
City of Auburn Councilmember
Pacific
James "Vic" Kave
Mayor of the City of Pacific
Eric Petersen
City of Pacific Councilmember
Kerry Garberding
City of Pacific Councilmember
Administration
Brad Thompson
Fire Chief / Administrator
Brad Thompson serves as the Fire Chief and Administrator for the Valley Regional Fire Authority (VRFA), a role he assumed on August 16, 2021, following his appointment by the VRFA Board of Governance. As Fire Chief, Thompson is responsible for the daily operations and strategic direction of the organization. He ensures the agency remains aligned with its mission, vision, and values while guiding staff toward the successful execution of the VRFA’s strategic goals.
Thompson began his fire service career in April 1999 with the legacy Auburn Fire Department. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Gonzaga University and is a Certified Public Manager through the University of Washington. Throughout his career, he has sought broad experience across the fire service, contributing to programs such as Public Information and Education, Health and Wellness, and the Accreditation team.
After being promoted to captain in 2011, Thompson served on the Medical Program Specialist and Technical Rescue teams before taking on a leadership role in Planning and Logistics as the Planning Captain. He was promoted to Battalion Chief in 2018 and then to Deputy Chief of Operations in 2019, where he focused on succession planning, regional collaboration, and public health initiatives. He also chaired the King County Zone 3 Operations Chiefs’ Committee, working to enhance operational consistency across agencies.
In addition to his role at the VRFA, Chief Thompson is currently serving as President of the King County Fire Chiefs’ Association. His term runs through the end of 2025.
Chief Thompson leads a senior team that includes two Deputy Fire Chiefs, a Chief Financial Officer, and a Human Resources Director. This executive group oversees multiple divisions including the Fire Marshal’s Office, Training and Safety, Planning and Logistics, Information Services, Public Education and Information, CARES, and Administrative Services. Fire suppression and EMS operations are led by four shift Battalion Chiefs.
He believes in servant leadership and in fostering a culture where every team member feels supported, valued, and committed to living the VRFA’s mission, vision, and values.
Steve Zehnder
Deputy Chief of Operations
Steve Zehnder serves as the Deputy Chief of Operations. In this role, he collaborates with the shift Battalion Chiefs to oversee daily emergency response, preparation activities, and training for the Fire Authority. Zehnder began his career as a firefighter in 1999 with the Auburn Fire Department, now known as VRFA (Valley Regional Fire Authority). He worked as a firefighter for 11 years, serving 8 years as a Medical Program Specialist. He became a shift Captain for 11 years and a shift Battalion Chief for 3.5 years. Most recently, Steve served as the Battalion Chief in Support Services for approximately one year.
His committee involvement includes VRFA Safety, the Joint Apprentice Training Committee (JATC), Uniform Committee, Zone Three Wildland, Auto Extrication, and the Incident Support Team. Zehnder spent five years on VRFA’s Wildland Team and managed the Wildland program as a shift Battalion Chief. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, an Associate of Arts in Fire Science, and an Associate of Arts in Fire Officer degrees.
Tim Day
Deputy Chief of Community Risk Reduction
Tim Day is the Deputy Chief of Community Risk Reduction. Tim oversees Support Services, the Fire Marshal’s Office, Emergency Management, and Public Education and Information. Tim began his fire service career with the City of Auburn in 1996. During his initial 20 years at the City of Auburn and VRFA, Tim worked in multiple operational and administrative roles as a firefighter, Captain, and Battalion Chief, and served as Deputy Chief of Technical Services from 2015 to 2017. Tim then left the VRFA in 2017 for the City of Kirkland where he served as Deputy Chief of Operations for five years before rejoining the VRFA in April 2022. Throughout his career at VRFA and Kirkland, Tim has worked on multiple local and regional committees. Tim has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, a Masters of Public Administration from Seattle University, and completed the Executive Fire Officer Program from the National Fire Academy. Outside of work, Tim enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Mark Horaski
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer Mark Horaski oversees the finance, human resources, information technology, risk management and administrative functions. Mr. Horaski began employment with the VRFA in 2007. He has over twenty five years of professional experience including several years of public accounting with a regional CPA firm, and public safety budget and finance oversight at the county level. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in business and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Washington. Mr. Horaski is an active member and past President of the Auburn Rotary.
Sarah Borden
Human Resource Director
Human Resource Director Sarah Borden began working for the VRFA in 2014. She brings years of professional experience in both healthcare and government, having worked in a variety of specialty areas in the human resources field since 2003. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management.