Hotelier and developer Walt Worthy has been named by the Spokane County commissioners to the board of the Spokane Public Facilities District, the organization that operates the Spokane Convention Center, the Opera House, and the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena here.


Worthy, owner and operator with his wife, Karen, of the Davenport Hotel downtown, joined the board late last month, says Kevin Twohig, executive director of the PFD.


He is filling a seat vacated last fall when board member Erik Skaggs was called to active duty with the Washington Army National Guard, Twohig says. The abbreviated term will expire in September 2005, he says.


Skaggs seat initially was filled by Sandy McCauley, owner of Pacific Crescent Quilting here. In December, however, McCauley was appointed by the county commissioners to a full, four-year term on the board, which opened up when Telect Inc.s Bill Williams stepped down after serving two terms, the maximum tenure allowed, Twohig says.


Tom Power, manager of the Fernwell Building downtown, also is a recent arrival on the board, having been appointed in November, Twohig says. Power also fills a seat vacated by a two-term board memberTrish McFarland, of the Eastern Washington University Foundation.


Worthys tenure on the board should be dominated by further preparations to expand the Spokane Convention Center, with major construction of the $70 million project expected to get under way this summer, Twohig says.


Although Worthy had favored a different site for expansion of the center than the one ultimately selected by the board, Twohig says he believes Worthy will be a valuable addition to the PFDs governing body.


I think what hes going to do is what any board member would try to do, and thats advance the project, Twohig says.


There are five seats on the PFD board; two members are selected by the Spokane City Council, two by county commissioners, and one by the PFD.