Brian Henshaw has been appointed the new finance director for the City of Bellingham, and William (Bill) Newbold will serve as the city’s new fire chief.

The Bellingham City Council approved Henshaw’s appointment on March 24 on recommendation from Mayor Kelli Linville. Henshaw has served in the position in an interim role for seven months.

He took over the job when the city’s former finance director, John Carter, left Bellingham to become chief financial officer at the Port of Everett.

Henshaw has held several jobs in the city’s finance department since April 2006. He assumed deputy finance director responsibilities in May 2013.

The finance director oversees financial stewardship of the city’s resources and runs the city’s finance and business operations.

Like Henshaw, Bill Newbold previously served in his new role in an interim capacity. He assumed fire chief responsibilities in January 2014, when former chief Roger Christensen retired.

Newbold was hired in January 2013 as assistant fire chief with the anticipation that he might take over for Christensen, whose retirement plans were well known at the time.

Newbold previously worked for the City of Redmond Fire Department, holding jobs there that included firefighter, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief and deputy chief of emergency medical services.