Members

Amy Walen, Mayor, City of Kirkland
SCA North Caucus

Mayor Walen has been instrumental in the City's efforts to revitalize the Totem Lake Business District and will continue outreach efforts to area residents and businesses through the Totem Lake Conversations. She seeks to further raise Kirkland's profile in local, regional and state-wide initiatives such as transportation infrastructure and strategic economic development.

Originally from Oregon, Kirkland City Council Member Walen attended University of Queensland in Australia, graduating in 1990. She practiced law in Australia until she returned to Oregon in 1994. In 2005 she met her husband Jim, who also worked at the dealership. Upon an interest in purchasing Ford of Kirkland, the Walens moved to the Kirkland area. Mayor Walen is currently the chief financial officer at Ford Hyundai of Kirkland, located in the Totem Lake Business District.

She has helped organizations such as Hopelink, Evergreen Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees and Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing.

In 2013, the Alliance of Eastside Agencies, a professional membership organization of human service providers, honored Amy Walen as the Elected Official of the Year.

Leanne Guier, Mayor, City of Pacific
SCA South Valley Caucus

Leanne is a community minded 18 year resident of the City of Pacific. Leanne actively participated with Pacific Partnerships for three years, serving as chair for one, and with the White River Valley Lions Club serving as Vice President and Treasurer. Leanne continues to volunteer as secretary and board member for Terry Home, a non-profit boarding home for survivors of traumatic brain injury.

Leanne was appointed to the City Council in May of 2009 and elected in November of the same year. She served on the Pacific City Council from 2009 until her appointment as mayor in July of 2013. While on the City Council Leanne served on the Public Works, Finance, Human Services, and Public Safety Committees and as a representative to the Sound Cities Association's (SCA) Public Issues Committee (PIC). Leanne also serves on the SCA Board of Directors, and is currently the Director-at-Large of the Executive Committee. Prior to her appointment to the council, she served on the planning commission for four years.

As mayor Leanne continues to represent the City of Pacific as a voting member of the Sound Cities Association PIC. She also represents the Sound Cities Association on various regional committees including: Growth Management Planning Council, King County Flood Control District Advisory Committee, Regional Transit Committee, and Regional Water Quality Committee. She was also recently appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to the State Building Code Council representing the Association of Washington Cities.

In her professional life, Leanne is the Business Development Specialist for the United Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters, where she has worked as a steam fitter for 19 years.

Dana Ralph, Mayor, City of Kent
SCA South Caucus

Dana Ralph brings many years of community service to her role as a City Councilmember. Prior to her election in 2011, Dana served as chair of Kent's Land Use and Planning Board where she helped to shape the course of Kent's land use, economic development, natural resources and the sense of place to pass on to future generations.

As an advocate for performing, visual and literary arts, Dana previously served as chair of the Kent Arts Commission, supporting her beliefs that the arts enrich the quality of life in Kent. Since being elected to council, she has continues to serve as the council liaison to the Kent Arts Commission.

A lifelong Kent resident and graduate of Kent-Meridian High School, Dana has owned and operated a medical billing company for the past 20 years.

She and her husband, Shawn, are the proud parents of two sons, Kyle and Derek. Kyle is majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Montana State University and Derek is a student at Kentridge High School. Dana and her family live on the Kent's East Hill.

In her free time, Dana enjoys camping, spending time with her family and martial arts.

Catherine Stanford, Deputy Mayor, City of Lake Forest Park
SCA North Caucus

Catherine Stanford was first elected to City Council in 2008, and is currently serving her third term on the Council. Catherine grew up in San Francisco, California, and moved to Lake Forest Park in 1989. She is married and has two children and four grandchildren. Prior to serving on the Council, Catherine served on the Lake Forest Park Planning Commission for ten years (Chair for five) and the Board of Third Place Commons, chairing the Farmers Market Committee.

Catherine Stanford attended the University of San Francisco and majored in Social Psychology. Her career spans over 35 years in commercial real estate and includes work in both the public and the private sectors. She is currently the owner of a Seattle-based consulting business that specializes in real estate and assists clients in government and public affairs; strategic planning; and property development. Her clients include municipalities; developers; non-profit groups and industry associations. She also teaches classes in Strategic Facilities Planning and Project Management.

Prior to starting her own business, she was the Director of Real Estate for Pike Place Market in Seattle; Corporate Real Estate Manager for a worldwide high-tech manufacturing company in the San Francisco Bay area; and Director of Asset Management for a real estate development company, also located in the San Francisco Bay area.

David Baker, Mayor, City of Kenmore
SCA North Caucus

David is a 66-year-old husband and father of three. He and his wife Sheri live in Kenmore. David owns Vision Systems Engineering, Ltd. A machine vision, video inspection company as well as an Internet based cell phone service company that specializes in cell phone repairs and accessories.

David was raised in Los Angeles and educated in Los Angeles Public Schools. He moved to Nebraska in 1972 and received a RN degree in 1974 from Iowa Western Community College. He attended the University of Nebraska and received a BS in 1978 and a Masters of Science in 1979. David moved to Kenmore in 1995 after receiving a Ph.D. from Iowa State University.

As your elected representative, I've held the line against property tax increases and spearheaded the move to lower utility taxes. I support balanced budgets, ensuring the Council spends tax dollars to benefit Kenmore citizens. I will continue to work hard to improve our local traffic problems, be a strong voice on regional issues that are important to the future of our city, and help provide our business community with the environment it needs prosper. I will encourage sound financial policy and a balanced budget.

As a business owner in Kenmore, I support efforts to retain existing businesses and promote economic development. I've supported work force housing in the new downtown and while preserving our single-family neighborhoods. I believe in a long term sustainable environment and that all new developments should contribute to sustainability.

Nancy Backus, Mayor, City of Auburn
SCA South Caucus

Backus is a product of the Auburn School District – she attended Pioneer Elementary, South Auburn Elementary (now Gildo Rey), Olympic Junior High School, and graduated from Auburn High School in 1979. Went on to attend Green River Community College and earned an A.A. in Business in 1981; then a B.S. in Accounting from City University in 1996. She also is a 2007 graduate of both the Leadership Institute of South Puget Sound and the Dale Carnegie Leadership Advantage.

A strong believer in service to community and bettering the lives of women and girls, Backus earned the Soroptimist International of Auburn Women Helping Women award in 2002 and in 2013, she received the Miss Auburn Scholarship Program's Lifetime Achievement Award for her 33 years of service with the organization. Under her watch she saw the Program grow into one of the largest local programs in the Miss America Organization.

In 2012, she was honored by the Leadership Institute of South Puget Sound with a Distinguished Alumni Award. She also received the Boeing Career Foundation Program (BCFP) Manager of the Year Award in 2011, and the Dale Carnegie Human Principles in Action award from her fellow classmates in 2007.

She has lived in Auburn most of her life and is proud that her daughter Alexis (Lucky) is also going to graduate from Auburn High School in 2016. Backus and her husband Kemon, a Boeing employee and member of the IAM, love attending Lucky's soccer games to cheer her and her teammates on to victory.

Bruce Bassett, Councilmember, City of Mercer Island
SCA North Caucus Caucus

Bruce Bassett was elected to the Council in 2007, then reelected in 2011 and 2015. He served as mayor from 2012 through 2017. A Washington native, he holds engineering degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Michigan and had a successful career as founder and CEO of a small high tech company before moving to Mercer Island in 2003. Bruce is an active community volunteer who has served on the Open Space Conservancy Trust Board, the Utility Board, the Design Commission, the Arts Council, the Green Ribbon Commission, the Parks and Recreation Subcommittee and the Sustainability Subcommittee. He got his start in politics while championing the successful effort to upgrade the IMS dirt field to a turf surface. His wife, Nannette, is active in many community volunteer roles. His two children graduated from the Mercer Island school system.​

Jim Ferrell, Mayor, City of Federal Way
SCA South Caucus

Prior to being elected mayor, Jim Ferrell served as a King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor, defending victims of crime. He served ten years on the Federal Way City Council from 2003 until 2013. In 2009, he led a successful grassroots effort to persuade voters to change the City’s form of government from Council/Manager to an elected mayor system.

Jim and his wife Wendy are long-time Federal Way residents, and are raising a seven-year old son. Jim graduated from the University of Washington and earned his law degree from Gonzaga University. He played Husky football under Coach Don James from 1985-1988 and received the Guy Flaherty Award, the storied football program's oldest and most prestigious award.

Hank Margeson, Councilmember, City of Redmond
SCA North Caucus

Hank has served on Redmond’s City Council since November 2007 and is now serving his third term. He represents the City at the Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee (SCA PIC) where he served a term as the Vice-Chair and is the current Chair of the SCA PIC Nominating Committee and a member of the SCA Board of Directors. Hank has been appointed to the Puget Sound Regional Committee’s Growth Management Planning Board, serving as the SCA Caucus Chair, and the King County Regional Transit Committee. He also serves as President for the Northwest Baseball Umpires Association board and is immediate past president for the Eastside Timebank board. Prior to election to City Council he served on the Parks and Trails Commission and was the Vice-Chairperson for the Education Hill Citizens Advisory Committee. Hank works for Liberty Mutual (Safeco) Insurance as a Senior Compliance Analyst and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Washington State University, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. A 23-year resident and living on Education Hill, Hank is married to Patti and has two grown children. Active in local sports, he coached youth soccer, baseball, basketball and currently umpires local high school baseball games.

Amy Ockerlander, Mayor, City of Duvall
SCA Snoqualmie Valley Caucus
Mayor Ockerlander served on the City Council from 2010-2017 before being elected to serve as Duvall’s Mayor in 2017. Ms. Ockerlander has made improving our community through service on local, regional and statewide committees representing the council and assisting with policy formation at the county, state, and federal levels a priority.
Ms. Ockerlander has made continuing leadership education a priority, and as such she earned a Certificate of Advanced Municipal Leadership through the Association of Washington Cities in 2013, and Bronze Level Certification through the National League of Cities Leadership Training Institute in 2012. She is also a 2013 graduate of both the Leadership Eastside Leadership program and Leadership Eastside Executive Insight.

Mayor Ockerlander holds a Bachelor's of Interdisciplinary Studies from Eastern Washington University and is currently a stay at home Mom. From 2005-2013 she held staff positions in the state legislature and county government working on constituent issues, legislative and policy work, emergency public information and strategic advising. She has resided in the City of Duvall with her husband since March of 2001.

Ed Prince, Council President, City of Renton
SCA Public Issues Committee (PIC) Chair

A proud resident of the Cascade neighborhood. Ed believes the strength of our government comes from collaborating with our residents and community partners.

Ed is the Executive Director of the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs and previously worked for the Washington State House of Representatives.

Ed is a former chair of the City of Renton Planning Commission, past chair of the Renton School District Bond and Levy campaign and a founding director of the Renton Community Foundation's "The Next Curve"

Councilmember Prince was elected to the City Council in 2011. During his time on council he has served on several regional boards and committees including:

• Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Legislative Committee
• Sound Cities Association (SCA) Public Issue Committee (PIC)
• Regional Transit Committee
• Regional Water Quality Committee
• Growth Management Planning Council
• SCA Legislative Committee
• AWC State and Federal Policy Committee

In addition to being Council President in 2018, Ed will serve as chair of the SCA PIC.

Ed lives with his wife Meegan, son Alex, daughter Carrington and two pugs, Will and Kennedy.

Debbie Tarry, City Manager, City of Shoreline
City Manager/Administrator

Debbie was appointed City Manager in January 2014 after serving as the Interim City Manager. Before taking on the interim position, Debbie was the Assistant City Manager for Shoreline and had been in that position since 2011. She was the City's Finance Director from 2000 to 2011.

Jeff Wagner, Mayor, City of Covington
SCA South Caucus

Currently, I am the Municipal Manager with Republic Services. Prior, I was a financial advisor for eight years and previously managed a family business, Wagners, in Covington for 17 years.
Since being elected to the Covington City Council in 2004, I have continued to focus on developing more activities and parks for our youth, developing a balance between economic development and the needs of our citizens, and to continue addressing the transportation issues of Covington, while continuing to pursue a balanced budget for our city.
Our city means a lot to me. I've invested a lot of time and energy in helping to build our community and I wish to see our city continue to thrive both economically and as a great place to live, work and play.
I have been a resident of Covington since 1988. While living in Covington, I have been active in numerous organizations, including President of Covington Days, Covington Kiwanis Club, Covington Merchants Association, Covington Community Council and I have been the past chair of the Covington Chamber of Commerce, as well as the co-chair of the Covington Economic Development Council. I have also been involved with Reach Out Covington, Children's Miracle Network Telethon and I was voted Kiwanian of the Year 1993. I previously sat on the King County Flood Control District Advisory Committee and was chosen as the 2014 Covington Citizen of the Year.
Currently, I serve on:
• Sound Cities Association Board of Directors
• Covington Chamber Board of Directors
• Kent Chamber Board of Directors
• Growth Management Planning Council
• Communities in Schools Kent, President of the Board
• Covington Domestic Violence Task Force, Board Member
• Sound Cities Association Event Committee
• Kent Kiwanis Club
• South Sound Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition

My wife, Michele, and I enjoy living in Covington, and we look forward to continue raising our family in this great city.