Rich Peterson and Dave Hyde have been appointed to the Common Sense Alliance board of directors.

The two San Juan Island residents join the CSA board following a unanimous decision by the board at its June 3 meeting.

A former fire chief in Santa Barbara, Calif., Peterson and family moved to San Juan Island after a 29-year career in firefighting. He was elected to the County Council in 2006 and served six years.

Peterson was elected commodore of the San Juan Island Yacht Club in 2008, studies industrial arts and is a professional metal sculptor, with two public art displays.

Peterson will join another former county elected official on the CSA board, Orcas Island’s John Evans, a former three-term county commissioner.

“Rich has experience as an elected San Juan county councilman and has a strong interest in assessing how local government can protect the quality of life for all our citizens,” Evans said. “His views will serve to further strengthen CSA.”

Founded in 2009, Common Sense Alliance is a grassroots, non-profit organization whose mission is to islanders informed about San Juan County’s proposed land-use regulations that affect the community, economy, and environment, according to its website.

Hyde, an award-winning researcher, had a 40-year career in government service, including 20 years with the Navy and Defense Advanced Research Projects agency. He moved to San Juan Island in 2009, is an avid yachtsman and currently compiling a summary of published ocean circulation studies relating to shoreline policy development for the San Juan Islands.

“The addition of both Dave and Rich to the CSA board strengthens CSA’s ability to obtain real science and to contribute to the information base that guides land use policy in the county,” CSA President David Cable said. “Both men are committed to CSA’s continuing mission to support our community, environment, and our local economy.