1. Name as it will appear on the ballot
|
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?
5. How long have you resided in King County?
|
28 years |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? Partisan Nonpartisan
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
|
Campaign Name: |
Nielsen for Newcastle |
|
|
Address: |
|
|
|
City/State/Zip: |
|
|
|
Campaign Phone: |
|
|
|
Campaign Fax: |
|
|
|
Campaign E-mail: |
|
|
|
Campaign Website: |
|
|
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) |
|
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, King County Prosecutor's Office
|
|
May-August 2004; Sept. 2005-Present
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:
|
Office Title |
Year of Run |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 was encouraged by several residents to run City Council. After several meetings I realized that many of these people were depending on me to help guide the city as we transition into the next phase of growth. Our past leaders have struggled for nearly a decade to complete the expansion of Coal Creek Parkway, the City's major arterial. The present leadership has made substantial progress; however, the outcome of this election will determine whether the project moves ahead or continues to languish while congestion builds and growth stagnates. The residents could not be any clearer on this issue. They want the project to move forward. Much of the framework is in place. Many community leaders have asked me to step forward to make sure the project continues in a fiscally responsible manner. I have accepted that responsibility. Newcastle, like many suburban cities in King County, is struggling to balance growth and quality of life issues. I envision a mixed-use, dynamic town center consisting of new shops, services, and residential housing. The next generation of councilors will determine whether this vision is realized or whether we continue to sprall and inefficiently consume open spaces. We take great pride in the character of our city, which is largely shaped by our green spaces. The residents have made it clear that they are depending on the City's leadership to preserve the character of their neighborhoods. I feel we can continue to grow without sacrificing the characteristics that make this city so attractive. |
2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
|
The circumstances of my upbringing have led me to believe that anything is achievable. I was born to a 15 year-old single mother. I was raised in a small three bedroom house in Renton with my grandparents, two uncles, my mom, and my younger brother—my father was absent. Resources were scarce. I was raised one day at a time; there wasn’t a plan for the future. I had to assume responsibility for myself at a young age. I also learned that we have a responsibility to one another.
I eventually worked my way through college, graduate, and law school. I am the only person in my family to attend college. I understand the trials of life and I have experienced the success of hard work and determination. I know failure; I also know success. Consequently, I have a wide range of life experiences I draw upon that make me a stronger leader.
|
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.
|
I am most proud of breaing away from my humble upbringing to make a better life for me and my family. On a personal level, I am proud to be the first person in my family to attend college and only the second to graduate from high school. I am proud to have perservered through these struggles and grateful for the lessons I've learned; namely, that in order to really know myself, I've had to struggle mightily at times. I've come to learn that failure is often as important as success, sometimes more so.
On a professional level, I am proud to have worked for the late Norm Maleng. I am proud of the work we do in my office. I am proud of the ethics we practice and the level of professionalism and empathy exhibited by my collegues. I am proud to do work that has a direct impact on the well-being of the community.
|
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.
|
2005-Present, President, Parterra Homeowners Assoc. Board of Directors. Parterra is a condominium community consisting of 140 homes and approximately 300 residents. As President, my role is to promote policy conducive to the fiscal, social, and general welfare of the community. In this capacity I participate in policy decisions that directly impact each household in the community. We set dues, collect revenue, oversee investments, acounts payable/receivable, and administer HR functions with on-site staff, among other things. As an Executive Officer, I play a primary role in guiding policy decisions.
2005-Present, Instructor, Youth In Government, Seattle Parks and Rec., Jefferson Community Center. Each fall/winter I have instructed a dynamic group of inner-city teenagers on the nature and role of the judicial system in a democracy. Each year the unit culminates in a county-wide mock-trial held in the King County Courthouse.
2002-2005-Academic Standards Committee, Syracuse University. I sat on this committee while in law school. The group consists of six faculty and three student members. We were charged with drafting/implementing grading policies, adjudicating academic expulsions/readmissions, and granting variances to the academic policies in place.
1999-2002, Head Coach, Seattle Youth Soccer Assoc., Capitol Hill League. Coached 13-20 14-16 year-old young men. This was generally the same core group as they aged over this period. We won our division in 1999 and placed second in 2000.
1997-2001, Volunteer, Washington State Special Olympics, Certified Coach--Track and Field. Volunteered with special needs teen/young adult populations. I coached track, soccer, and softball.
|
|
As a councilor, it is my responsbility to fairly represent the residents of Newcastle. The council must balance competing interests at times and engage in thoughtful, detailed analysis to arrive at a solution that bring the greatest benefit to the community. The most important component of a councilor is the ability to thoughtfully and objectively deliberate on the issues facing our city and not let the voices of a few outwiegh the interests of the community. |
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.
|
B.A. Psychology, Univ. of Wash, With Honors M.A. Political Science, Syracuse University J.D. Syracuse University, With Honors |
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.
|
2005-Present, President, Parterra Homeowners Assoc. Board of Directors. Parterra is a condominium community consisting of 140 homes and approximately 300 residents. 2005-Present, Instructor, Youth In Government, Seattle Parks and Rec., Jefferson Community Center. 2002-2005-Academic Standards Committee, Syracuse University 1999-2002, Head Coach, Seattle Youth Soccer Assoc. 1997-2001, Volunteer, Washington State Special Olympics
|
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.
Candidate Evaluation Coordinator: Jason Thibedeau
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: (425) 671-0506 Website: www.munileague.org