Biography

Laurie Jinkins is a legislator, attorney and public-health advocate with a long, active record of public service and community involvement. Laurie has been engaged in education, government improvement, community leadership and human rights issues for many years. Throughout her career, she has focused on supporting working families, building vibrant communities and standing up for those less fortunate.

Elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 2010, Laurie represents the 27^th Legislative District in Pierce County, which includes East, Downtown, Hilltop, North, Northeast and West Tacoma as well as Ruston and a small slice of Fife.   She currently serves on the capital budget, environment, health care & wellness and transportation committees.

Laurie also serves as the deputy director of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, managing its daily operations. Before her public-health work at the local level, she served in several executive positions between 1995 and 2008 at the Washington State Department of Health, including as assistant secretary of health, chief administrator and executive director. She focused on developing the state’s health budget, with a strong emphasis on accountable and efficient programs.

Earlier in her career, Laurie worked in the state Office of the Attorney General in Tacoma as an assistant attorney general.

Laurie’s active community involvement over the years includes work with the following organizations:

-   Fair Housing Washington, board member (current)
-   Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, board member (current)
-   Tacoma Rotary 8, member (current)
-   Tacoma Community College, board member (1998-2010)
-   Tacoma-Pierce County American Leadership Forum, board member, chair (2003-10)
-   Approve Referendum 71, campaign co-chair (2009)
-   Tacoma Community House, board member, chair (2004-09)
-   Seattle University School of Law, board member (2002-06)
-   Tacoma Charter Review Committee (local government reform), chair (2004)
-   African American Museum, board member (1998)
-   The Tacoma-Pierce County YWCA, board member, president (1991-96)
-   Tacoma Hate Crimes Task Force, chair (1990-92)

A native Midwesterner, Laurie earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later a Juris Doctor from Seattle University School of Law (then the University of Puget Sound School of Law), as well as completing executive studies at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

She lives in Tacoma with her partner, Laura Wulf, and their ten-year old son.

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