Prompted by nearby friends in Port Townsend, the new office administrator for the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, Melanie Sands, moved from Jackson Hole, Wyo., to Sequim last summer. Since July, Sands and her husband have been busy remodeling their “fixer-upper” while pursuing the area’s crabbing and fishing opportunities. “We’re really enjoying the beach,” Sands said. “The whole nautical culture is fascinating.”

Although Sands admits the beauty of Jackson is difficult to beat, she doesn’t miss the winters or shoveling snow for months on end.

Happily adjusting the mild winters and with their house well under way, Sands soon sought work within community — leading her to fill the void left after Jeri Smith recently retired from a 16-year career with the chamber.

Question: What is your favorite food?

“There are so many, but I think Mexican food is probably my favorite.”

Question: If you could thank one person, who would it be and why?

“Well, I would like to thank the president of the company I worked for 28 years, Snow King Resort. He recently passed away, but I always felt like family there and sometimes you don’t appreciate those things until they’re not there.”

Bonus Question: What’s your favorite thing about Sequim?

“The lavender … it’s beautiful and we just happened to move into town during the lavender festival weekend.”

Question: What’s one thing people might not know about you?

“I was raised on a dairy farm in southern Minnesota.”

Question: What is your favorite color?

“Orange”

Question: What music are you listening to now?

“My all-time favorite is Steve Perry.”

Bonus Question: What’s one thing you haven’t be able do around here, but want to?

“There’s a lot we still want to see, but the mountains are interesting. I want to visit them in the summer and compare them to the mountains I am familiar with from Jackson Hole.”

In Random Questions, members of the community each draw five random questions (sometimes more) out of 50 from a bag and he/she will answer these questions for your entertainment. With suggestions for random interviews, e-mail Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.