1. Name as it will appear on the ballot
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First Name |
Middle Initial or Nick Name |
Last Name |
2. Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):
3. Are you the incumbent? Yes No
4. How long have you resided in this district/city?
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Part of 1995 annexation to the city, 22 years in the Kent community |
5. How long have you resided in King County?
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25 years |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Partisan Nonpartisan
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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Campaign Name: |
Elect Elizabeth Watson to Kent City Council |
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Address: |
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1. Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held. Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.
Public Office |
Elective or Appointive? |
Dates Held |
Leadership Role (if any) |
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City of Kent
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2. If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:
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In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge. These are defined as follows:
1. In a page or less, why are you running for this office? (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)
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I want to serve on the Kent City Council for the following two reasons:
1. I love my community and I believe in the value of public service. Through my various volunteer activities over the last twenty years I have worked hard to create positive changes in my community. I'm a Washington native and Kent has been a great place to live, work and raise my children. I want my city to continue to thrive and grow in a positive manner.
2. I want to restore people's faith in government. I realize this seems old-fashioned, but I believe how public policy is created and interpreted has a direct bearing on each and every person, young and old. Although decisions made at the state and national level are very important, it is city government that impacts our quality of life on a daily basis.
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2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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I have professional expertise as a skilled negotaitor and as a frequent trainer and conference presenter I have the ability to communicate complex issues and assist others in finding creative solutions.
I am hard-working, energetic and have a strong commitment to public service.
However, I think it's my sense of humor and ability to put people at ease which will serve me best as a city council member. |
3. Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud. These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking. These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life.
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Land Use and Planning Board, City of Kent 1. As a member of the Land Use and Planning Board , I listen to staff recommendations and public testimony and then synthesize that information to make policy recommendations to the Mayor and City Council. This experience as increased my ability to critically examine all sides of an issue before making a decision.
Comunitites in Schools of Kent, Board President 2. As part of a strategic planning team, I worked with other community leaders to bring nationally recognized Communities in Schools to the Kent community. Serving as the Board President I been able to bring mentoring programs into Kent School Distrtict elementary schools to serve students "at-promise". Bringing together the business community, social service agencies, service groups, government entities and the schools has provided me with the opportunity to work collaboratively with diverse groups, with varying interests. The skills I have acquired during this process will serve me well on the city council.
3.As a Homeless Education Program Coordinator for the Puget Sound Educational Services District. I work with 35 school school districts in King and Pierce counties to ensure educational access for students who are experiencing homelessness. |
4. Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek. Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved. Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.
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I believe my most significant contribution to the community has been raising two compassionate citizens. My son recently completed two degree programs at the University of Washington and has been named a Presidential Scholar at Seattle University School of Law. My daughter is a senior at Smith College in Massachusetts and is currently an intern in Washington DC, working hard to effect change in the judical system for victims of child abuse and neglect.
Land Use and Planning Board, City of Kent, 2003-present, I
Communities in Schools of Kent, Board President, 2002-present
Communities in Schools of Kent, Secretary
Community Council for Children and Youth, Secretary
Communities in Schools, Strategic Planning Team
Mentor for 5th grade student
Meridian Elementary PTSA, President
Meridain Elementary PTSA, Vice President
Mattson Jr. High PTA, Clothing Bank Chair
"Outstanding Contribution to the Education of Kent Students Award" from the KSD School Board and Dr. George T. Daniels
Vice-Chair 47th District Democrats
King County Democrats Board Representative
Seattle King County Coalition For the Homeless, member
Childrens' Alliance, member
Washington Women's Employment and Education, Graduation Commencement Speaker
Relay for Life Team member, City of Kent
Certified Parent Educator, Taught parentings skills to low-income parents in South King County
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I believe the most important duty as a city council member is the ability to work with all council members to establish a plan for the future. This means a working budget that promotes genuine fiscal reponsibility. As the citizen's representative it is my duty to find cost effective solutions to the challenges facing Kent. |
EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY
The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website. It includes a summary of the candidate’s education. Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined). The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry. Suggested order is (degree) (subject) (school) (year, if desired).
Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.
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BA degree, Public Policy and Administration, The Evergreen State College Certified Parent Educator, University of Washington Associate degree, Green River Community College |
FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT
The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement. Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below. We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted. Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined). It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important. If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes, deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed.
Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report. If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.
Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.
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Finished!
If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org). Mail and fax numbers are listed below. If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.
Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League: a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials. Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.
Candidate Evaluation Coordinator: Rebecca Cooper
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: 425-671-0506 Website: www.munileague.org