Biography

PERSONAL
Renton resident. Two grown children.

EDUCATION
-  Seattle Public Schools, K-12
-  Highline College – Business and Real Estate

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
-  Realtor and small-business owner for 20+ years
-  Prior career in banking branch management and lending for 16 years

PREVIOUS PUBLIC SERVICE
-  Elected Renton School Board  Director, 2001 – 2009
-  King County School Boards’ Legislative Representative to the Washington State School Directors
Association

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
-  Renton Chamber of Commerce, Past Chairman
-  Rotary Club, Past President
-  Renton Area PTA Council, Past President
-  Kennydale Neighborhood Association, Past President and founding board member
-  Renton Community Foundation, founding board member
-  Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, business member
-  Renton Blue Ribbon Council
-  Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
-  Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce
-  Issaquah Chamber of Commerce
-  Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce
-  Greater Seattle Business Association

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS
-  Washington School Administrators Outstanding Community Leadership award
-  National PTA Life Membership award
-  Washington State PTA Outstanding Service & Outstanding Advocate awards
-  PTA Golden Acorn
-  Renton Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Citizen award
-  Renton Citizen of the Year
-  Seattle-King County Association of Realtors Community Service award
-  Washington State PTA Friend of Children Award

CURRENT HOUSE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
-  Community Development & Housing
-  Education
-  Education Appropriations & Oversight
-  Rules

CURRENT STATUTORY ASSIGNMENTS
-  Quality Education Council
-  Joint Select Committee on Education Accountability

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
-  Adequately funding our K-12 education system and re-defining education to better prepare our children with skills they’ll need to participate in the global marketplace.
-  Encouraging a diverse, skilled employment base, and attracting and keeping good jobs and successful businesses in our state.
-  Reducing congestion through infrastructure improvements and giving commuters more options.
-  Promoting Washington’s leadership for success in green industries that will improve our environment and create jobs at the same time.