The Municipal League of King County

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224

Seattle, WA 98104

(206) 264-1070 cec@munileague.org

2007 Board of Trustees

Bruce Carter, Chair
Judge Pro Tem, Seattle Municipal Court

Robert Klein, Vice-Chair
Short Cressman & Burgess PLLC

Norma Jean Hanson, Secretary
Norma Jean Hanson Paralegal Services

Sandra Driscoll, Treasurer
City Attorney (ret.)

 

Angela Avery, Community Volunteer

Dan Berger, Municipal Attorney

Jill D. Bowman, Stoel Rives LLP

Bill Breitenstein, Financial Executive (ret.)

David Brentlinger, Weyerhaeuser Realty Investors

Steve Call, Cascade Water Alliance

Mary Gates, Consultant

Albert Israel, Mass Mutual Financial Group

Rachel Jackson, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Chris Johnson, Office of the Attorney General, WA State

Mark Koenig, Consultant

Rick Lewis, Intel

Steve Marshall

Eric B. Martin, Davis Wright Tremaine

Bradley Meacham, Microsoft

Dan McDonald, MWH Americas

Kristen Peterson, Washington State Hospital Association

Kathy Putt, Comcast

Ramsey Ramerman, Foster Pepper

R. Todd Slind, CH2MHill

Will Smith, T-Mobile

John Spady, Dick’s Drive-In

Lucy Steers

Gary Strannigan, Safeco

Harold Taniguchi, King County Department of Transportation

Michael Teter, Perkins Coie, LLP

Wes Uhlman, Wes Uhlman & Associates

Jason Van Nort, Puget Sound Energy

Jen Watkins

Rodney G. Wendt, Koegen Edwards LLP

Rich White, Boeing

Nick Williamson, Encrypted Key Technologies

 

2007 CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
FOR NON-JUDICIAL CANDIDATES

The Municipal League of King County requests every candidate who participates in the candidate evaluation process to submit background information prior to his/her interview with a candidate evaluation committee.  The questionnaire is the basis of the League’s research and interview process.  The League’s ratings are non-partisan; they are based on standards of Involvement, Effectiveness, Character, and Knowledge, all of which have been developed and refined over the past 90 years.

 

A printed version of the questionnaire is available for candidates who prefer to use the traditional format.  To obtain a hard copy, please contact the League office.  A copy of this questionnaire will be provided to Candidate Evaluation Committee members to help them prepare for your interview.  Candidate responses, except the confidential section, will be available to the general public at the League website. 

 

The Municipal League requests the following materials from candidates.  Please check to make certain you have sent in your:

 

   Candidate Questionnaire

           Sent by:       Email             US Mail           Fax            Not Sending

   Resume (education, employment, and professional activities)

           Sent by:       Email             US Mail           Fax            Not Sending

             Check here if you DO NOT want your resume posted on the Municipal

                League website

   Campaign Materials

           Sent by:       Email             US Mail           Fax            Not Sending

   Constituent Newsletters and other publications

           Sent by:       Email             US Mail           Fax            Not Sending

   Photograph

           Sent by:       Email             US Mail           Fax            Not Sending

 

Note: Electronically submitted questionnaires are strongly preferred. All materials can be emailed to cec@munileague.org.  They can be processed and made available on-line far more rapidly than handwritten or typed submissions.

 

For non-electronic submissions, please print clearly and legibly and return the application as soon as possible in order to allow the committee the greatest amount of time to prepare a complete report on your skills and experience.

We request that you return the Candidate Questionnaire

by June 22, 2007

 

If you have not yet been contacted to schedule an interview, or if you have questions about the candidate evaluation program, please contact the League office at 206-264-1070.

 

If you have a disability and require accommodation to participate in the candidate evaluation process, please contact the CEC Coordinator at the League office.

 


2007 Candidate Questionnaire

 

SECTION I               

 

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

 

1.      Name as it will appear on the ballot

 

First Name

Middle Initial or Nick Name

Last Name

Lisa

M.

Jensen

 

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

 

City Council Member, Newcastle, Position 1

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

 

 

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

 

7 years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

32 years

 

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan      Nonpartisan         

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:  n/a

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Friends of Lisa Jensen

 

Address:

 

8555 135th Ave. SE

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Newcastle, WA  98059

 

Campaign Phone:

 

425-269-3201

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

206-338-3203

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

lisa@jensenforcouncil.com

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

www.jensenforcouncil.com

 

 

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

 

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)

None

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

 

Office Title

Year of Run

None

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 SECTION III

 

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.)

 

I'd like to continue my service to the community.  As the President and board member of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, I have experienced the powerful results that can be attained by bringing people together and improving communication.  I'd like to do the same thing for our entire city as a City Councilor. 

 

I have been involved in the community for several years and feel a sense of responsibility.  I've established relationships with residents, business owners and regional leaders and have learned much about the issues facing our city.  Because of my involvement and ability to work with people, I was asked by the King County Library System to represent the community on the architect selection committee for the new Newcastle libarary.  I was also asked by city staff to be a included as the Chamber delegate to interview developers as the city looked at zoning issues in our downtown.  I believe I'm qualified to represent the diverse interests expressed by many because I have listened and will continue to listen to their priorities and concerns.   

 

With three open positions and one incumbent being challenged, there will be a lot of change in the leadership of our city.   I have been strongly encouraged to run by many that I have worked in the city because of my relationships and knowledge of the issues.  I can offer some consistency to voters in a time of change.  I am already recognized as a leader in the community and have established credibility with existing city council members, city staff, and other leaders in our city and region.

 

 


 

2.      Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

 

Leadership/Responsiblity - My education, business experience and volunteer experiences have helped me develop leadership skills and a sense of responsibility in my community.  As a manager in the software industry, I realized I had a natural ability to coach people and encourage them to achieve better results.

 

Listening -  I believe listening is the most important aspect of communication.  As a sales professional, manager, coach, community leader and child advocate, I've learned how important it is for people to feel like they are being heard.  I've also learned the importance of  listening to all sides of an issues before making a decision or recommendation.

 

Diplomacy - As a manager, coach, leader of volunteers and court advocate, I have learned how to deal with sensitive issues without offending.  I believe it's important to focus on the strengths of an individual or situation and work from there.

 

Balanced Perspective - In my experience volunteering as a CASA I have learned to be involved, make decisions and recommendations to effect change without becoming emotionally attached to a particular outcome. 

 

 

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. 

 

1.  As a new member of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce in 2004, I saw a need for change.  At the time, the Chamber had 9 active members.  I talked to many people in the community who were interested in a Chamber/Community Organization.  I became a Board Member and Officer in 2005, President in 2006, and grew the chamber to more than 80 members by solidifying it's financial position and organizational structure, and recruiting a board of directors that could support new leadership in 2007 and beyond.

 

2.   I have been a Court Appointed Special Advoacte (CASA) volunteer since 2003, and have represented 12 children in Dependency cases.  With this experience, I've developed investigative skills and the ability to see an issue from various positions.  Talking to parents, foster parents, school officials, counselors, social workers, attorneys and children often requires diplomacy.  This year the Director of the King County CASA Program recommended me to be a Board Member of King County Friends of CASA.  I was appointed to the board in April.

 

3.   During my 13 year career at Lawson, I was recognized as an effective consultant, manager and coach.  In 2000 I was asked to spend 3 months in the London office to help their sales staff feel more connected to the U.S. based company, and to train a new sales manager.  I enjoyed the challenge of working and living in a different county and found I was able to adapt easily to the cultural differences.  I even learned how to drive on the left side of the road!

 


 

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.

 

Business Owner - Jensen Companies/Jensen Websites - I design and maintain websites for small businesses and non-profit organizations, focusing on easy navigation and search engine optimization

 

Board Member, Newcastle Chamber of Commerce 2005-Present

President, Newcastle Chamber of Commerce  2006 - Establised website and organizational structure which enabled the chamber to grow from 9 active members to more than 80.

 

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer 2003 - Present
I investigate cases and advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in King County

 

Board Member - King County Friends of CASA 2007 - Present

 

Board Member - Newport Way Library Board 2004-2005

 

Participant - Newcastle Planning Commission developer interviews in 2006 and Sign Code sub-committee 2005-2006

 

Committee Member - Lake Heights YMCA PR Committee

 

Guild Member - Team Seattle, a Children's Hospital Guild 2000 - Present

 

Delegate - East King County Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition
representing the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce 2006-Present

 

 

  1. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.  Which are the most important duties and why?

 

In a council-manager form of municipal government, the city council is elected to set policy and enact resolutions and ordinances to support that policy.  The council hires and oversses a city manager, who is responsible for hiring staff to implement policy.  The council votes on budget appropriations and insures fiscal accountability to voters and other public agencies.

 

The city council acts much like a board of directors for a publicly traded company, with the city manager acting as the hired CEO, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the city. 

 

For an individual council member, communication skills are essential for promoting teamwork and representing the voters who have elected her.  A council member must be able to listen to the ideas and positions of others and present her own ideas effectively to gain consensus.  Communication is also important on regional committees.  A council member must be able to represent the city well to neighboring cities and within the region.

 


EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

 

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.

 

B.A. Business Administration, University of Washington 1984

 

 

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

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.

 

     

 

Finished!

If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (cec@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.

 

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN!

 

THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY

 

Candidate Evaluation Coordinator:  Jason Thibedeau

 

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                 Phone: (206) 264-1070                      Email: cec@munileague.org

Seattle, WA 98104-1614                        Fax: (425) 671-0506                     Website: www.munileague.org