Jack Turner Application

Jack Turner 2331 Kaiser Rd. NW, Olympia, WA 98502 (360) 956-2975; (360) 878-7095(c) [email protected] 1) Why do I want to serve as County Commissioner? Daniel Kemmis writes in his book Community and the Politics of Place that rural areas could not exist without urban areas nor urban areas without rural areas because it takes each for the other to recognize that the other exists. I have lived at the edge where rural meets urban for my entire life. Growing up, my neighbors to the west were horses, deer and elk while to the east was a typical small town city block where families lived and children played. Even today, I walk across the street to get my mail bridging from the county to the city limits and back again. I want to serve as County Commissioner to serve both rural and urban citizens and build bridges between the two. I want to serve as County Commissioner to inspire our young to get involved in their community because I care for their future they face and how they will face it. I want to serve as County Commissioner to inspire those experiencing troubled times to believe that dreams do come true. I want to serve as County Commissioner to inspire neighbors to come together to talk and solve their problems with one another. I want to serve as County Commissioner to honor our elders and hear their knowledge. I want to serve as County Commissioner to learn the wisdom from the people that have been here long before me so that we can strive and work together to face the challenges upon us. I want to serve as County Commissioner to strengthen the roots and character of this county; both the rural character that serves as its backbone and the urban artisan and creativity that host the Capital of this State. I want to serve as County Commissioner to look out for the most vulnerable and improve the quality of life for all. And finally, I want to serve as County Commissioner because I care. I care about our well being as a country and a community and I care about the future we will leave for our children and their children, and their children. Having said the above, we are faced with difficult times. Times like this require a leader who is willing to face such challenges and has experienced both professionally and personally the challenge and opportunity difficulty bring. I have always believed in the power of local government to lead the way in difficult times as well as to have the resources to navigate the unseen challenges. I want to serve as County Commissioner because the times of traditional leadership are over and the time for out-of-the-box thinking that brings a culture of collaboration, shared resources, and creative problem solving through the empowerment of our local resources is needed. At a time of cuts at all levels of government, leading from a place of “yes we can” as a rural/urban community is desperately needed and I want to lead the way in that belief and endeavor. And that is why it would be an honor to serve as County Commissioner for District 3.

Jack Turner 2331 Kaiser Rd. NW, Olympia, WA 98502 (360) 956-2975; (360) 878-7095(c) [email protected] 2) How I am uniquely qualified. It was during the Reagan era when I began working for the United States Forest Service. That era followed by Newt Gingrich’s Republican Revolution, established budget cuts and shortfalls as the norm throughout my fifteen-year career with the federal government. I spent most of my time working in one of the most poorly funded offices in the nation, located in central Arizona, yet paradoxically, had the ability to get things accomplished. In fact, this particular office was recognized by Congress in the late 1990s for its achievement in being able to develop partnerships and build relationships both at the various public levels as well as government, local to federal, and including the private sector too. One particular achievement of this office was written about in the book Beyond the Rangeland Conflict: Toward a West that Works by Dan Dagget and for which I was interviewed. It was here that I began establishing myself as a leader in difficult times. Through this experience, I realized early on that the health of the environment is interdependent with the health of the community. I went back to school here to attend the Leadership Institute of Seattle so I could expand and gain skills in leadership, community development, negotiating, conflict resolution, communication, and relationship and partnership building. One of my greatest experiences was participating in a mock public hearing where a juvenile detention center was planned in a neighborhood. My role was one of the neighbors belonging to a neighborhood association that would be impacted by the proposal. In a group of 18 people, I brought forward the concerns and possible resolution that when presented to the mock city council, won approval. This experience served me later in “real life” working for the Skokomish Indian Tribe negotiating watershed and utility plans with Tribal Council and County and PUD’s staff and elected officials. Work with the Tribe required involvement with staff and elected officials from city councils to the county, state and federal levels. I was instrumental in building a consensus on a watershed plan that involved two counties, two PUD’s, an Indian Tribe and local citizens. I was the co-author of a forest restoration plan ordered by U. S. Congressman Norm Dicks. And I single handedly negotiated the revival of a $2 million state and federally funded estuary restoration project in Puget Sound that was nearly aborted due to legal entanglements. These accomplishments were successful because of my ability to work with different entities, to think out-of-the-box with the whole in mind, to creatively solve problems, and bridge diverse interests, opinions, and issues. Rarely can an individual speak to their position and listen to others to come toward an agreement of how to plan and take action at a holistic level, as I have been able to in the last 15 years working on rural issues at the grassroots level. I have the ability to facilitate a culture of collaboration to build partnerships and to establish consensus in order to take action and get things done. And that, ability to gain a broad range of support with various interest groups, from the environment to business to rural landowners and of course, tribes, makes me uniquely qualified as a County Commissioner.

Jack Turner 2331 Kaiser Rd. NW, Olympia, WA 98502 (360) 956-2975; (360) 878-7095(c) [email protected] 3) How do I stand prepared to stand for election in 2009 and again in 2010? It is commendable for anyone to enter into this position while at the same time gearing up for two consecutive elections all beginning less than a year after being appointed. Having been elected to student council and vice-chair for the county’s Storm and Surface Water Advisory Board, this will be my first major election. It is a task that I, with honor, accept, commit to, and will accomplish. Serving in the appointed position will most certainly bring name and character recognition due to my personable nature and my ability to gain broad support from environmental groups, business owners, rural landowners and tribes. I will also be an incumbent which is an additional advantage in being elected and then re-elected. And naturally as a Democrat and being appointed by the Thurston County Democratic Party, I will be running on the Party ticket for both elections of 2009 and 2010 Already a base of support has formed for this appointment that I will be relying on for next year and the re-election campaign. I am committed to hiring a campaign manager and treasurer with experience. The base also includes Democratic Party officials, fellow County Commissioners, current and past, and supporters who have known me for some time and believe in my capacity to hold this position through the next six years and longer if desired. These supporters have already stepped forward, willing to knock on doors and make phone calls. I am, as well, committed to doorbelling and making phone calls in addition to attending the Democratic Party campaigning school with the goal being elected and re-elected. Also, I have been successful in raising over $2 million dollars, through grant writing efforts, for projects to improve the environment. Other fundraising efforts include raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Red Cross, City of Hope and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Finally, I believe the election of 2009 and 2010 will be a vote of confidence as to the progress I am making in dealing with budget shortfalls and providing services that are looking out for the most vulnerable and improving the quality of health of the citizens. More than any time in recent history, this position will be scrutinized as to whether I can earn the respect of the voters with the decisions and actions I take as County Commissioner. And it will be because of my ability to build bridges and my personable character that I will earn that respect.

Jack Turner 2331 Kaiser Rd. NW, Olympia, WA 98502 (360) 956-2975; (360) 878-7095(c) [email protected] 4) What do I intend to accomplish? I believe that we will continue to face economic challenges countywide, statewide and nationally for at least the next couple years. Reduced revenue should be expected and the county could be faced with a decline in funding. Balancing the budget and living within our means is a must and a great challenge as departments will be hard pressed to make further cutbacks. And I will accomplish a balanced budget. And it will also be important to prepare for the recovery when that happens, and it will. Thus, keeping programs in tact that have taken time to build will be protected and finding ways to keep staff on board as part of the downturn and the subsequent recovery is another objective I intend to accomplish. Balancing the budget after this year will require redefining essential services that are most characteristic of these times and must emphasize improving the quality of life of our citizens and looking out for the most vulnerable. The county should not add to its citizens’ hardships. Once having an updated definition of our essential resources, I will be proposing the prioritization of those resources. The citizens must know where the county is putting its energy and what it intends to accomplish. And the citizens need to be assured that the county is living within its means and spending the taxpayers’ dollars prudently. To accomplish this will require more commitment to cross program communication. Both generally and utility/permit funded departments should be networking with each other to surface duplicative efforts and opportunities to share resources to get the work the county has prioritized done. This will be reported back to the administration, policy and decision-makers to set up for balancing the budget for 2010. In closing, I would hope to meet and shake the hand of every county staff person and meet personally with those that are laid off and/or facing challenging times at home. And finally, it is my intent to be elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2010 to serve another four-year term and continue the work and momentum of my previous term. To sum up, what I intend to accomplish is: • Balancing the budget, • Proposal to redefine essential services and prioritize those resources, • Cross department networking and reporting, • Strategizing for both downturn and recovery, • Meeting staff and personally those who have been laid off and, • Being elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2010.