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:     X    Email             US Mail           Fax            Not Sending

   Resume (education, employment, and professional activities)

           Sent by:       Email             US Mail           Fax          X    Not Sending

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

                League website

   Campaign Materials

           Sent by:     X    Email             US Mail           Fax            Not Sending

   Constituent Newsletters and other publications

           Sent by:       Email             US Mail           Fax          X    Not Sending

   Photograph

           Sent by:     X    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 15, 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

Wen

Wu

 

Lee

 

 

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

 

     

 

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes            X  No

 

 

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

 

16 years

 

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

 

16 years

 

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

                                                                                                                       

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:       

 

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

 

 

Campaign Name:

 

Wen Wu Lee

 

Address:

 

P O box 13253

 

City/State/Zip:

 

Des Moines, WA  98198

 

Campaign Phone:

 

206-683-5688

 

 

Campaign Fax:

 

     

 

 

Campaign E-mail:

 

wenwulee@aol.com

 

 

Campaign Website:

 

     

 

 

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)

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 

 

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

 

Office Title

Year of Run

 

Port of Seattle Commissioner

 

2005

     

 

     

 

     

 

     

 


 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.)

 

The reason that I am running for Port of Seattle Commissioner can be summarized into 4 points

 1. Put my father’s teaching into action:  contribute your best to Public Good.

I had MBA degree and years’ experience of handling  financial and budgeting projects in billions dollars.  Working as flight attendant,  I have 12 to 15 days off each month ( plus 2weeks vacation each year ).  I have knowledge, experience and personal time to contribute to PUBLIC GOOD, specially for the Port of Seattle Commissioner position.   Although I like to volunteer in local elementary school; being a math tutor or volunteer in environment conversation project, however, being a  Port Commissioner, I can make greater contribution to the society.  

 2. For the past 9 years, Sea-Tac airport is the place I reported to work.  I am a flight attendant for NWA airlines.  Days in and days out, I witness Port of Seattle as the most wasteful/inefficient and bureaucratic public entity.   I have a lot of ideas to trim down the port’s energy consumption;  make the Port of Seattle ( POS) be responsible for protecting  its surrounding environment;  be accountable for its financial and budgeting .  POS can make progress and improvement in a short period of time only if I  run and get elected as POS commissioner.

 3.  I can communicate with 90% of world population in their own language.  I understand both

Eastern and Western cultural.  I am the ideal culture/trade ambassador for POS.  I am financial independent.  I need no money from this position.  Being a flight attendant,  I had been traveling around the world and in the meantime got paid for my work.   The POS sponsored  trade mission tour for POS commissioners will NOT be my foreign trips  alongside with sightseeing/shopping tour, it will be my working tour( without being compensated) to promote trade and cultural exchange.

4.      With my major in Economics and Management, I like to apply the theory into reality world:

“Make the best allocation among the limited resource.”   We need to keep our air fresh, our water clean, we have a lot of Real Estate property and seaport/airport infrastructure.  We have

No. 1 software and No. 1 aircraft manufacture industry in our community. However We DID NOT have proactive POS Commission.    To set long term planning for POS is my another agenda to run for POS commissioner.

5.   I am the most qualified candidate for POS commissioner.  I will not accept big campaign donation.  I want to prove the truth about “ In running for election, only money talks and walks”. I agree what Henry Ford said:” People deserves the government they elect.”

 


 

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

 

  Since I was a child,   I am also in leader position.  Class leader, team leader while attending in school/university.    Even being a flight attendant ,   I am “Purser” qualified  flight attendant.

Purser is the cabin lead for international flight ( the leader for at least 12 crew members and 250-400 multi-nationality  passengers in 10 hours or longer flight.)

    I always follow  my father’s teaching : “contribute your best to “PUBLIC GOOD”.   I like to volunteer my time and my expertise to the good cause.    Currently I am a Board of Director for Wing Financial Credit Union, the No. 1 Credit Union for air transportation industry.  It is a volunteer position.  I believe the Credit Union philosophy : member help member in financial/banking industry.

  “Never stop learning”  is my daily practice.  Through new knowledge and new skills, improvement comes forward.   Passing  through  lots of airports around the world, I made keen observation of each airport’s operation.   My beloved home base “SEA”  do have a lot of room to improve.

     Since I was a child, I was very conscious conserving the environment.  Early on I already practice the  “reuse, reduce and recycle”.  For being  POS commissioner, I can promote  this concept to benefit the “bigger WE” community.  POS should stop wasting ASAP.

     To make a lot of money is not my life goal.  Among my siblings and circle of friends, there are a lot of millionaires.  They are still  busy to make more money.    Since I am financial independent,  I choose to contribute my time and skill to better our society as a whole. 

Being as POS Commissioner, I will put “public interests “  on top priority and eliminate the special interest groups completely.  

 

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. 

 

    • Running Port of Seattle Commissioner in 2005.   With  my sincere intention to contribute;   with my academic training/work experiences/finance expertise/multi-cultural background, I came out to run POS commissioner.  Without  seeking political endorsement and accepting no campaign donation, I got 17% votes in primary.    I am proud of my self that I put my thoughts into action.  We heard all the complaints about our government.  We see people sitting and talking.  I am proud of myself to stand up and take action.

One retired teacher ( She taught English  in Middle school.) called in and asked who wrote the my statement in the King County Voter’s Pamphlet for me ?

My answer: “ I wrote it myself.”    She responded: “ You had done a good job.”

Later I found out  it costs minimum $500 up to $2000 or more if I hire professional service for such writing.

I did receive few phone calls who want to make campaign donation to me.

My answer was : “ No, I don’t need your money.  If you think I am the one to represent your interests / the general public interests as POS Commisssioner , then VOTE for me. “    To me, democracy  is priceless.  Not the big money to buy the public office position.

    • Running Port of Seattle Commissioner in 2007.   I still think I am the most qualified candidate for POS commissioner.  POS is in a crisis mood now.

I want to contribute and lead the POS transforming into a good government entity to better serve our community.   I accept $5 per person donation this time.

If I get elected,  the “BIGGER WE”  wins a better government.  If I don’t get elected, the “smaller I “ wins a more joyful personal life.  Either way,

 it is win-win situation.  I am proud of myself to get involved and make contribution.  


 

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.

 

            I am actively volunteering in my children’s school from Kindergarten to high school. 

 I was a math tutor for after school  tutoring to those students who needed extra  help

 In math.  During the school opening nights, few parents came up to me and thanked

 me because I made great impact on their kids.   But I have no ways to link faces

 between children and their parents.   To me, all children deserve good education.

 Volunteering my time and expertise in school made me a happier person.

 

 I was the coach of math competition team ( my son is one of the four  team member )

 of  Summerset elementary school in Bellevue School district for 3 months, the team

 won the 3rd place as a team , my son  won 2nd place as individual in that particular

 statewide competition.

 Later, all my children won various awards as individual and as a team member  in

 math competition  through out  their school years.

 

 I was in  PDC committee (consists the Principal; student body representatives,

teachers’ representatives and  parents’ representatives) of  Newport High school for

 2 years.  With group efforts and open communication, PDC  committee committed

 a  better school curriculum and community involvement.

 

 I got elected as a member of  Board of Directors in Wing Financial  Credit Union since

 2002.  It is the  biggest credit union to serve air transportation industry.  It has $1.5

 billion in assets,  100,000 in membership.   Credit Union is co-op organization.

 Broad member is a non-paying volunteer position.  I enjoy to contribute my time and

 expertise in this good cause.

 

Flight attendant is my job now.  Whenever I work on my trips assignments,  I always do

 above and beyond for the passengers and strangers who has special needs.  Although

 that is not  part of my job and I gain nothing for doing good deeds.  I am a believer

 each small action can amplify into main wave.  Peace in Earth is achievable goal.

 

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

 

  To better manage/allocate  POS resources  ( Real Estate,  physical facilities , its strategic and  

   geological location and its human resource)  for its most economic usage.

 

   To make POS accountable for its financial and budgeting spending.  Reduce waste and

   increase operational efficiency.  

 

   To make open communication with general public , no more behind curtain  transaction that 

   Pays favors to few individuals.

 

    To promote  trade (physical commodity/intellectual  technology) as well as tourism

    (cultural exchange  and conference/convention ).

 

    To set up the long term plan for POS via  gather general public opinions/ advises from

    Economist/coordination between related governmental  entities.M


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.

 

MBA - U. of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL).  Studied Accounting, Finance, Marketing and Management.

M. S. - UNL, major in Agri. Economics and Statistics Analysis.

B. S. - National Taiwan University

 

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.

 

 I was volunteering in Bellevue School District for more than  12 years.  As a math tutor,  I helped students in after school math tutoring classes.   I volunteered as coach for Summerset Elementary School math team which brought back awards from state wide competitions.  Some of the team members continued to win  numerous awards from elementary through out high school.

 I was a parents’ representative in PDC committee of Newport High School for 2 years.

 I am a member of Borad of Directors for Wings Financial Credit Union.  It is the biggist credit union to serve air transportation industry.

 

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