Biography

First elected in 2006, Larry serves as the chair of the House Higher Education Committee. He also serves on the House Education Appropriations & Oversight and Ways & Means Committees.  In addition he serves on the legislative committee which oversees the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program (LEAP) and on the Select Committee on Pension Policy.

A former US Navy warship captain and Pentagon strategist, Larry enjoyed all of his 32 year career in the U.S. Navy.  In addition to commanding four warships, including the battleship USS IOWA in operations all around the globe, Larry served in a several senior positions in the Pentagon where he helped shape budget and national security strategy in the offices of the Secretary of Defense, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.   Larry launched a second career helping citizens and political leaders strengthen their communities through community building and conflict prevention.  Working with UNESCO’s Director-General in Paris and often with heads of state, he invested more than a decade designing and demonstrating innovative conflict prevention and community development strategies in a number of at-war and at-risk countries including Jordan, Palestine and Israel in the Middle East,  Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, Sri Lanka in South Asia, and Colombia in Latin America.  Translating those insights to American cities, he also worked with community and university leaders in Seattle/King County, Washington DC, and Columbus, Ohio to pioneer locally-led community revitalization strategies.

A frequent lecturer and writer, Larry has conducted advanced seminars on innovative community and security strategy at Harvard, Stanford, George Washington, and American Universities, military colleges, and the Evergreen State College.  He has published numerous opinion pieces in the Christian Science Monitor and other papers.  Joining the blogosphere, he writes on the economy and state budget strategy,  “Forehanded” on his blog ForehandedWA.

An active member of his community who works closely with local elected officials, Larry is a member of both the Gig Harbor and Port Orchard Chambers of Commerce.  Larry and his wife of 32 years, Carla, a playwright and writer, reside in Gig Harbor. Carla’s new book is “Manufacturing Hope: Post-9/11 Notes on Politics, Culture, Torture, and the American Character.”