Oct. 6—When the United Way of Lewis County's succession committee first met to discuss a replacement for retiring executive director Debbie Campbell, they had no idea the eventual successor was in the meeting.
For that matter, neither did Christian Bruhn, 49, of Rochester, who was a member of the committee and was set to become president of the Chehalis-based nonprofit's board of directors.
After coming up with a list of qualifications and desirable attributes and conducting several interviews of candidates, the ultimate choice was an unexpected one.
It is Bruhn himself, the dean of instruction at Centralia College, who will take the reins from Campbell after her 22 years at the helm of the organization.
The job, which for Bruhn comes with a substantial decrease in pay, caught his interest earlier this year following a personal tragedy. His close friend, Adam Palmer, died in an avalanche in February. The loss had an effect on Bruhn's outlook. After attending his funeral and memorial services over the summer, Bruhm looked at the open United Way position with a fresh perspective.
"He lived his life in a way that he did what he did because he wanted to do it," Bruhn said. "The more I thought about it, I wanted a job that fulfills me ... The timing of this turned out to be a very good thing."
Bruhn stepped off the succession committee and put himself in the seat of an applicant.
The nonprofit was looking for a good leader who can build relationships, someone who could carry on a number of ongoing goals, projects and objectives while building out a vision for the future.
Campbell said Bruhn more than fit the bill.
She said he's already highly respected by the United Way of Lewis County staff due his time on the board and his consistent participation in the organization's many endeavors.
"And he's here because it's not about the money," Campbell said. "And this job should not be about the money."
Bruhn will officially start in his new role Oct. 18 following a retirement party for Campbell that will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 15 at Riverside Golf Club in Chehalis. The public is invited to attend.
Bruhn has worked as the dean of instruction at Centralia College since June 2015. Prior to that, he was born in west Seattle and attended school in Renton. He earned a bachelor's degree at Central Washington University before gaining a master's degree in exercise science from the same university. He's currently completing a doctorate in education and leadership from Oregon State University.