LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a new planning commissioner for District 3.

At Supervisor Jim Steele's request, the board voted to appoint Eddie “EJ” Crandell to succeed Gladys Rosehill on the commission.

Crandell, 39, is a Lucerne resident and member of Robinson Rancheria.

He's served as tribal chairman of Robinson Rancheria since January 2015. This Sunday, he is heading to Washington, DC for the White House's annual Tribal Nations Conference.

Steele told the board Tuesday morning that the vacancy on the commission was unexpected. He said Rosehill, who was appointed in February 2015, was excellent at the position and was just getting into it when she resigned.

He said he went on a search and began interviewing people. Steele said he selected Crandell after an interview and some discussion about his community service and experience.

“I found him to be excellent in understanding the community, the type of community that we would like to have here in Lake County going forward, and certainly the history of the county looking back,” Steele said.

Steele said Crandell understands the ethics of land use, the value of Clear Lake and also is a solid planner, with an understanding of community members' needs.

Crandell told the board he would like to be able to tackle issues with the community, and felt being a member of the commission would be a good way to serve the county as a whole.

Steele moved to appoint Crandell, with Supervisor Jeff Smith seconding and the board voting 5-0.

Crandell told Lake County News that he has met with Steele quite often, and had gotten to know him initially while serving on a truancy task force for Upper Lake High School.

“That's where we made the connection and started talking more,” he said.

Since then, Steele has stopped by his office to talk about various issues, bringing up the planning commission vacancy to Crandell about a month ago.

Crandell said he considers the planning commission post a way to make a difference by serving in the broader community.

Crandell's first meeting will be on Thursday.

He'll take his oath of office from Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley before taking his seat with other commissioners.

The commission has a full Thursday agenda, including public hearings on permits for a Lower Lake animal care facility, the draft environmental impact report for Wild Diamond Vineyards near Middletown and proposed updates to the county's zoning ordinance regarding marijuana cultivation rules.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.