Brian Barney sworn in as Crook County commissioner

Prineville farmer, rancher and businessman Brian Barney was sworn in Monday as Crook County’s newest commissioner.

“I am honored to be a Crook County commissioner so I may serve the people of our community,” Barney said in a news release. “I look forward to working with Judge Crawford and Commissioner Brummer to maintain our quality of life in Crook County.”

Crawford ran for and won the county judge position last fall, succeeding Mike McCabe, while commissioner Ken Fahlgren was replaced by Jerry Brummer, leaving a vacancy on the commission for them to fill.

Barney, chosen Friday by Crawford and Brummer from a field of applicants, said he was born and raised in Prineville on the Upper Crooked River. He is a fourth-generation member of the Stearns family, and attended public schools in Prineville.

“I love this community and appreciate the opportunity to help maintain the great services it provides, and also to work with others to grow our community in a responsible way,” Barney said.

Here’s the rest of Barney’s news release on his background:

After high school, Barney attended Central Oregon Community College and began working for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department. He earned a DPSST certification from the Oregon Police Academy in Monmouth. He worked as a Deputy Sheriff in Deschutes County for several years and also served as a reserve Deputy in Crook County.

For 35 years, Barney has been a farmer, rancher and owned excavation and construction businesses. He has also served the community as a past volunteer firefighter and EMT on the Prineville Fire Department for approximately 11 years.

For the past 21 years, he has served on the Pioneer Memorial Hospital Board as a board member, Vice Chairman and Chairman. Since 2014, he has also served on the Strategic Planning Committee for St. Charles Health Systems.

In addition to those community commitments, Barney has served on the Ochoco Irrigation District Board for the past 16 years, working collaboratively with local, state and federal agencies, conservation groups and others on a Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Project, and on the Crooked River Collaborative Water Security and Jobs Act of 2014.

Barney has also served on the USDA Farm Service Agency committee and the Farmers’ Home Administration board administering federal USDA programs; Crook County 4H/FFA Livestock Sale Committee, Crook-Wheeler County Farm Bureau; and the Central Oregon Agriculture Research Center Advisory Council.

Barney has been married to Laura Willoughby Barney since 1979, and the couple has two children, and four grandchildren.