District 3
Lee Grose
County Commissioner, District #3
Term: January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2010
Lee was born to Charles and Alice Grose in Myrtle Point, Oregon. Charles and the family of five moved around northern California and southern Oregon chasing jobs in the lumber and timber industries. In 1956, Lee’s mother was killed in an automobile accident near Redding, California leaving Charles with the task of raising five children under age 10. Alice’s sister, Martha, came to live with the family and take care of the kids and the family returned to their roots in Mossyrock, WA. After a commute from Swofford Valley to Packwood wore Charles down, the family moved to Packwood and settled in there in 1959.
Lee attended school at Packwood Elementary and graduated from White Pass High School. He then attended Washington State University earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Studies with a teaching certificate. Just before his senior year at WSU, he married high school classmate, Janice Boren. After graduation, he and Janice returned to the White Pass area, living in Glenoma, until they purchased part of the property on which Lee was raised in Packwood.
After 11 years in the classroom, Lee was called north by his brothers, Tom, Tony, and Gary with the dream of starting a commercial concrete construction company. So, in 1984, the family moved to Fairbanks, AK where the company, GBC, Inc. was formed. After several successful construction projects in Alaska which included the Bradley Lake Powerhouse, a winter of bitter cold (-72F) left the family yearning for “home” in Packwood and they returned there in 1989. GBC, Inc. opened an office in Tacoma and Lee made the commute until 1993.
In 1993, Lee and long time friend Mike Anderson purchased Packwood True Value Hardware and in 1995 changed to Packwood Ace Hardware. After purchasing Mike’s interests in the store in 2000, Lee became the sole owner of the business.
Lee & Janice have two sons, Jeremy (30) and Isaiah (27), and three grandchildren.
Lee believes that most issues that confront us can be resolved through a simple process of open communication. As your commissioner, he resolves to open and develop communication with other elected officials as well as staff to work for the good of all the people of Lewis County.
Affiliations
Commissioner Grose serves on the following Committees:
- EDC Board of Directors-Executive Committee
- Chehalis Industrial Commission
- Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board
- WA Co Risk Pool Board of Directors
- Capital Facilities Committee
- Lewis County Transportation Strategy Council
- Timber Counties
- Secure Rural Schools Coalition
- Title II/III- Resources Advisory Committee (RAC)
- Packwood Airport/South Lewis Co Airport
- Habitat Advisory Group (HAG)
- Mt. St. Helens Tourism Committee
- Lewis County Law Library
- Solid Waste Disposal District
- Health Board