The Olympia City Council approved the appointment of 19 individuals to fill vacant positions on various advisory boards and committees on Tuesday, March 25.
Council member Yen Huynh, who chairs the Community Livability and Public Safety (CLPS) committee, presented the committee's recommendations to the city council.
The CLPS spent two days interviewing 32 individuals who vied for 21 openings on advisory committees.
"The selection and interview process were intense. We spent many hours with (candidates) that shared their interest in why they want to join the advisory bodies. What we found is we have such a rich candidate pool in our community," said Huynh on the process of selecting the newly-appointed members of the committees.
The interviews took place during special CLPS meetings on March 10 and March 12.
The following individuals were appointed to serve on Olympia's advisory boards:
Arts Commission
Sergio Garcia
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)
Heather Moline
Izi LeMay
Jonathan Hutton
Cultural Access Advisory Board
Genevieve Chan
Nick Howard
Heritage Commission
Michael Bowman
Mark Shepard
Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
Kelly Campbell
Planning Commission
Shawna Mershon
Jason Taellious
Jessica Grubb
Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
James Goebel
Sare Webster
Social Justice and Equity Commission
Kieran Stilson
Jeremy Ruse
Caesar Plasencia
Utility Advisory Committee
Scott Hancock
Ben Gossett
The city council also issued a proclamation recognizing 21 community members whose terms ended or chose not to seek reappointment.
According to Kellie Purce Braseth, Olympia's Strategic Communications Director, moe than 90 community members serve on 12 advisory bodies, providing input on city priorities and working closely with staff.
Council member Clark Gilman reflected on his journey with city advisory boards, starting with "a five-minute lightning round interview" that led to his role on the BPAC.
He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be a sounding board for staff developing policy initiatives and to provide advisory input to the council.
He thanked the people who served on the committees and those people who were newly appointed.
"I am glad that we have 100 more community voices who weigh in on the work of the city," Gilman said.
The proclamation stated Olympia has created diverse advisory bodies covering areas like city planning, arts, parks, social justice, and more. The council-appointed groups allow residents to provide community perspectives, study local issues, and offer recommendations to the city council.
Olympia Mayor Dontae Payne also thanked outgoing members for their service.
"We are forever in your debt for the service that you have committed to the city. We are the face, but the advisory bodies are the ones rolling up their sleeves, doing the real work, and digging into the details," Payne said.
"It is you who help us arrive at those decisions. We thank you for your participation."
Tracy Schreiber
Alison Bremner
Jennifer Riedmayer
Steven Albrecht
Mikaela Shafer
Wayne Kleppe
Andrea Pareigis,
Audrey Henley
Annette Pitts
Roger Horn
Candace Bock
Daniel Farber
Tracey Carlos
Willian Hannah
Parfait Bassale
Genevieve Chan
Mark Hodgson
Larry Watkinson
Rachelle Martin
Arland Schneider
Sherry Chilcutt
Rachelle Martin found the experience of serving in the Social Justice and Equity Commission fascinating, particularly her interest in restorative justice work.
"I was looking forward to working with our community to see how we can make ourselves safer, while also working in concert with the police department here. I appreciate everyone letting me be a part of it," Martin said.
Her commitment to community service continues through her role as president of the Thurston Lewis Mason Central Labor Council.
"I take economic justice seriously here in our community. I look forward to continuing to work with everyone," Martin said.
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