E-mail: john@vmicc.net
Sectors: Education, Recreation
Committee: Ways and Means

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Education: BAS- U. of Md., BFA-Cornish, MFA- City College, NYC, MED-WWU,
Teaching : 15 year special education Seattle School District.

Administration: 3 years assistant principal, house administrator, academic dean SPS.
Fine artist: Arts in education King County, and Vashon Island

Community Actions

• Started Vashon Seals as head coach

• Co-founder of Vashon Teen Center

• Grant writer and project manager of Ober Park renovation project

• Washington State Health and Safety Network research committee (Vashon branch)

Sectors: Business

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Ben serves an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. He previously served for 14 years as a Senior Deputy Prosecutor in the King County Prosecutor’s Office, focusing largely on issues of legal reform, violent crime, and gun violence prevention. He got his J.D. at U.W. Law in 2008. Before going to law school he worked as a professional actor.

Frequent visitors for many years, Ben and his family moved to Vashon permanently in early 2020. They now live on the south end of town along with their dogs, cats, chickens, and bees.

"I have dedicated my professional life to public service, and have made it a point to get involved in outside organizations that promote equity, safety, and positive change. That mindset is something I would bring with me into this role, and I believe it could be a benefit to the council."

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E-mail: info@v-mcc.org
Sectors: Business, Environment
Committee: Co-Chair, Communications Committee (website team)

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I grew up in Minnesota. I have a bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology, and an MBA in marketing management. I worked 17 years in the specialty chemical industry, where I became Director of Marketing for HB Fuller Company, a Fortune 500 adhesive manufacturer, and served on several boards.  Later, I spent seven years volunteering full time in the USA, New Zealand, France and India for many causes. Along the way I gained skills in Nonviolent (Compassionate) Communication and permaculture.

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Vashon became my permanent home in 2013. I met an Islander (Michael Laurie) and we married in 2014. Together we run Garden Green, an effort to help people garden organically, plus we jointly run a small plant nursery of native and medicinal plants. I also run a landscaping business – Emerson Gardening Services.

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Sectors: I have strong connections to the environment sector, between the Garden Green effort, and membership in VIGA, the Fruit Club, the Garden Club, and more. In 2019, I organized a community forum on pesticides and the recycling effort for the Strawberry Festival, washing out and sorting recycling right on the street. In my first year on Vashon, I generated no waste, only recycling. I organized a Permaculture Design Course on Vashon in 2014. At our home, we strive to follow these permaculture principles: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle.

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I also have strong connections to the business community. I am an active member of the Vashon Chamber of Commerce. I have long been a proponent of buying local and have been buying pretty much only locally grown food (WA and OR) at the grocery store since 2012. My service to the community through the Community Council  is a very high priority in my life.

I am a 4th generation islander and a mother of three school aged children. I deeply care about our community and our Island spirit.

My family has been in service to our island community for generations.

Sectors and Background

Sectors: 

Background

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After many years of living and raising our family in Ballard, we were very fortunate to settle in our home on Vashon in 2018. I have a background in social work and public administration, and have spent my career in public service in the areas of mental health, domestic violence, homelessness and health care. I have experience on other boards, including recently joining the Vashon Food Bank board as secretary, and I also volunteer at the Food Bank.

I’ve been a regular participant in V-M Community Council meetings since it re-launched a couple of years ago, and have really enjoyed learning more about our community and the wide range of concerns and needs. I think Council provides an important forum for diverse issues to come forward, for shared problem solving, and for us to use our collective voice to advocate for community needs. I would very much appreciate the opportunity to serve the community by being part of the Community Council board.

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