Pacific Mayor Richard Hildreth, a longtime supporter of city emergency preparedness, recently was appointed by Gov. Christine Gregoire to serve on the Washington State Emergency Management Council.

The panel advises the governor and director on all matters pertaining to state and local emergency management by promoting, assessing and reporting on statewide emergency readiness.

“It’s an excellent opportunity for me,” said Hildreth, a recent graduate from the Master Exercise Practitioner Program in Upstate Maryland. The Federal Emergency Management Agency considers it the highest level of disaster exercise training in the country.

“I’m actually looking forward to it. I actually plan on using this to help other elected officials learn more about emergency preparedness and help them understand what their roles are.”

The council appointment is a non-paying position. Hildreth will maintain his duties as mayor.