Vashon-Maury Community Council Board of Directors Operating Principles (as revised on November 6, 2025)

PREAMBLE

The Vashon-Maury Community Council serves as a participatory, non-partisan forum for residents to collaboratively address island priorities through advocacy and grassroots action. While we advise governmental partners and advocate for equitable stewardship of shared resources, we hold no statutory authority over public assets. Our role centers on fostering inclusive dialogue, mobilizing community-led solutions, and amplifying islanders’ voices—promoting ecological and social resilience for ourselves and future generations. These principles guide our board’s commitment to ethical leadership and collective problem-solving that reflects Vashon-Maury’s values.

1. Service Orientation & Stewardship

We put the needs, interests, and well-being of the Vashon-Maury community as a whole and the quality of life of its residents at the center of all of our decisions and actions. We advocate for the equitable stewardship of shared resources—natural, social, and financial—through collaboration with residents, organizations, and government partners. We foster responsible management and sustainable practices that preserve ecological and communal vitality. Our focus is on concrete logistical issues affecting Islanders, such as housing, environmental protection, public safety, and transportation, and we advocate for equitable solutions that align with community priorities.

2. Inclusion & Equity

As a non-partisan advocate for equitable treatment, we actively solicit and welcome diverse voices and perspectives—without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, age, income, or political belief—and work to ensure fairness, equal opportunity, and legal protections for all community members, including those unable to attend V-MCC meetings. We apply equity frameworks, such as the GARE toolkit, to assess how decisions impact marginalized groups and advance systemic fairness. We support the Council in addressing issues brought before it to improve conditions for as many islanders as possible.

3. Collaboration & Respect

We work together in a spirit of mutual respect, valuing each person’s and organization’s contributions, and fostering open, constructive dialogue, solidarity, and effective shared action. 

4. Ethical Conduct

We adhere to non-partisan and ethical practice, acting with honesty, transparency, and integrity, adhering to nonprofit and antidiscrimination laws, and resolving conflicts of interest in the community’s best interest. We commit to a collaborative good-faith search for truth and shared understanding.

5. Conscientiousness

We have an action orientation, and approach our responsibilities with care, diligence, and a commitment to thoughtful, thorough decision-making and follow-through. We further both the letter and intent of motions approved by the V-MCC, to the best of our collective ability, and are accountable for those efforts. We commit to evaluating board performance and programmatic impact to ensure equity, refine strategies, and enhance accountability.

These principles guide our board’s culture, decisions, and actions, ensuring we serve the whole Vashon-Maury community with integrity and excellence.