The Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park have hired former newspaper researcher Janet Farness as their executive director.

Farness was hired by the Friends, a grassroots advocacy and support group for the state park, in March. In December, the Bellevue resident left a nearly 17-year career at The Seattle Times, where she worked as the newspaper’s strategic research manager, then strategic research director from 2006 onward. She additionally studied sustainable business practices at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute from 2009 to 2010.

Farness introduced herself to Issaquah’s city council Monday night. She said that, less than a month into her new position, she was in the midst of an “immersion process” with the Friends, the community and local government.

“It’s great to be part of something that’s so easy to love,” Farness said. “And we care for what we love. So part of our goals as we get started … part of it is to get people out to experience it, to experience this incredible jewel that we have in our growing, urbanized area.”

The Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park formed in early 2013, after Washington State Parks Partnerships and Planning Program Manager Peter Herzog used the term “deep doo-doo” at a Valentine’s Day meeting to describe the funding situation for the parks system.

The group officially incorporated the following April and soon thereafter began the long process of applying for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Service.

As they waited for approval, the Friends dove into the support work of hosting and planning park events, applying for grants and supporting other organizations’ grant requests.

But when the Friends sought grant funding in fall 2014 to hire an executive director, the pending nonprofit status led to obstacles in seeking $25,000 grants from the cities of Sammamish and Issaquah. Sammamish’s council approved a partial $10,000 grant and Issaquah elected officials initially denied funding altogether. At the time, Friends Chair Chris Kovac told the Reporter the group was considering moving forward with finding a part-time director from Sammamish’s funds, but that a full-time director would allow them to be more successful.

Eleventh hour approval by the IRS eventually led the city of Issaquah to grant the full $25,000 requested.

Farness told the Issaquah council Monday that the Friends would be moving forward on projects in the park, such as the refurbishment of its docks.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” she said. “But it’s a great place that I’m inspired by and I really look forward to working with all of you.”

The Friends organized kayaking and a Ranger walking tour of the park on Earth Day, Wednesday.