BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- A nationwide search yields a final candidate for Bellingham’s new police chief.

Mayor Kelli Linville announced yesterday that Clifford Cook is her final pick for the position.

The 57-year-old would replace Chief Todd Ramsay, who announced in October that he would retire at the end of the year. 

Linville says Cook, who was Vancouver, Wash.’s police chief for five years, brings excellent management and community-building experience to the table. 

The mayor is expected to extend a formal job offer in early January pending thorough background checks.