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The man who’s been was named the new president of the Columbia River Economic Development Council is a familiar face to the Portland metro/Southwest Washington building scene.

Mike Bomar beat out about 60 other candidates during a national search to fill the position at CREDC that became vacant this past August when Lisa Nisenfield left to lead the Oregon Employment Department.

A gain for CREDC, though, means a loss for the Southwest Washington Contractors Association, where Bomar has spent the past three years as executive director. In addition to reportedly increasing membership by 300 percent during his time the contractors association– no small feat given that most building industry groups lost members during the recession — Bomar knows his way around a state legislature thanks to  six years as the director of government affairs for the Building Industry Association of Clark County.

But even with his solid background, Bomar wasn’t a shoe-in for CREDC. Out of a pool of roughly 5 dozen candidates narrowed down by a search committee, he found himself in a tight race with two other finalists. Each finalist was interviewed by CREDC’s board, by small groups and at a reception before Bomar was announced as the new president.