The editorial board provides the voice of the newspaper through daily editorials appearing in this column. Five people serve on the board, and all have an equal say in shaping the newspaper's official editorial position.

Publisher Robert W. Ritter, Executive Editor Vickie Kilgore and Editorial Page Editor Mike Oakland are the three permanent members of the board.

They are joined by two community representatives who serve four-month stints on the board. Community representatives are invited to sit in on all editorial board meetings, ask questions of guests, review and comment on draft editorials before they are published and bring suggestions for editorials to the board. The time commitment is up to five hours per week. On occasion, community members even write the first draft of an editorial.

If you are interested in serving on the board during the December-through-March term, send a self-nomination via e-mail to news@theolympian.com or fax it to 360-357-0202. Tell us about yourself, from your family roots to educational background, from work experience to community involvement. Tell us why you want to serve on the board and what you would bring to our deliberations.

We look forward to hearing from you.