The Edmonds City Council spent more than four hours Tuesday interviewing eight citizens who submitted their names to be considered for the job of mayor.

Different candidates have different levels of experience managing large staffs and dealing with large budgets, but one thing was clear: there are a number of very well qualified candidates.

Some – Richard Marin, Ron Wambolt, Dick Van Hollebeke, and Roger Hertrich – have all been on the Edmonds council before.

Mike Cooper has experience at the state and county level.

All eight have extensive records of public service.

During the interview process, councilors perhaps showed a glimpse of what qualities they were looking for in a mayor.

Some wanted to know whether, as mayor, the applicant would allow councilors and staff to work together.

Others were interested in whether the candidate was interested in running for a full term when the current term ends in 17 months, and whether they would perform differently as an appointed mayor or an elected mayor.

Their experience managing a large staff of people was definitely a hot topic, as well as their understanding of large budgets.

Visions of the city, managerial style, and the ability to lead in a non-partisan manner were also frequently discussed.

Council is expected to choose a new mayor during their July 20 council meeting.

For citizens’ information, the candidates’ bios are listed below. Remember though, council chooses the interim mayor. Due to scheduling, some candidates could not return their bios by press time.

Richard Marin

"My first order of business as mayor will be to begin to gradually change the way the city provides services and to put the city's affairs onto a solid financial foundation," Richard Marin said.

Marin, 64, served in Vietnam, graduated from Brigham Young University, and worked for Advertising Agencies in Los Angeles and Seattle for 20 years.

He also was commissioned in the Navy reserve and had duty assignments that took him all over the world including the Pentagon, the White House and the Philippines in the Global War on Terrorism.  He has been married for 42 years and has seven children.

"A person can't go from being drafted all the way to the rank of Navy captain without knowing how to lead people and knowing when, and how, to take certain calculated risks," said Marin.

"Leadership, to me, is about applying the authority you have been given in such a way as to make people want to follow you. This principle has worked for me as the elected or appointed leader of 13 business, civic, military, church and governmental organizations."

Marin served as a member of the Edmonds City Council from 2001-08 and served as council president in 2005.

He represented the city's interests as a member of the Sound Transit board of directors, as chairman of the Community Transit board of directors, on the Snohomish Health District Board and several other local and regional organizations.

"I am also not afraid to innovate and take on very big challenges." Marin cited as examples, " I once took a job that had been done by two people, and after a short time on the job – and some innovation – I could do the work of those two people working half time.

“On another occasion, I took on a national assignment that the key senior people had turned down and orchestrated an international award-winning event that those same key senior people attended and praised."

He is a registered Republican, but says that because of his centrist views and actions over the years he has garnered major support from Democrats, Independents and Labor alike.

"Coming up through the ranks gives you a keen appreciation for what others do for you and how you can inspire them to give their all. I am confident that I have the respect of city staff and can work well with the City Council to do great work on behalf of the citizens of Edmonds," said Marin.

Mike Cooper
   
Mike Cooper’s roots run deep in Edmonds. 

In 1965, his father became the city’s first paid Fire Chief.  Mike was raised to believe a person should give something back to their community, which is why he signed up as a volunteer firefighter at the age of 18. 

Cooper was born and raised in Washington State. In May 2006, he retired at the rank of lieutenant with the Shoreline Fire Department after more than 25 years of service.

During his career as a firefighter, Cooper served more than 20 years on the executive board of IAFF local #1760.
 
Cooper said he would bring a unique style of leadership to the city by working with the staff and council to find common sense solutions for our future.  He is a skilled negotiator on labor issues as well as policy and budget issues. 

Cooper served eight years in the state Legislature where as a committee chair he brought people together for common sense solutions; often times that meant bringing stakeholders of wide and diverse positions together.

2004 also saw the culmination of his eight years of work on recreation funding. Gas tax revenues provide funding for trails and other recreation facilities, but the money was being distributed in a manner that wasn't fair to all users.

Cooper convened a group of interests who had been locked in disagreement for decades. After more than a year of meetings and negotiations, they were able to hammer out a bi-partisan compromise that more equitably distributed recreation funds. 
        
In July of 2005, Gov. Gregoire appointed Cooper to chair the Washington Oil Spill Advisory Council, a diverse group of stakeholders responsible for advising the governor and Legislature on spill prevention, preparedness and response issues.

In 2007, Cooper was elected to the Snohomish County Council. He chairs the Public Works Committee and represents the council on the Community Transit Board, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Board, and the Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Policy Committee. 

In 2009, Cooper served as chair of the County Council.  As chair, he wrote the $220 million general fund budget passed into law for 2010. 

Cooper and his wife Chrystal have lived in Edmonds most of their lives.  They have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Dick Van Hollebeke

Dick Van Hollebeke has been a resident of Edmonds for 33 years.  He attended Gonzaga University and has a CLU professional degree from the American College. 

Recently, Van Hollebeke retired from 35 years in the financial services industry.  His son David is now running their family business, Van Hollebeke Financial Services, located at 580 Hemlock Way in downtown Edmonds.

Van Hollebeke served on the Edmonds City Council from 1996-99 and during his term on the council he participated in the following committees: Community Services, Disability Board, Community Transit, and the Edmonds Alliance for Economic Development, which he chaired.

Forty years of civic and community service augment Van Hollebeke’s business experience: he has been a member of the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, 1990 to the present; Edmonds Community College Foundation, 1995-2005; he was appointed by the governor to the EdCC Board of Trustees, 2005 to the present (past chair); and has served on numerous other committees, boards, and commissions.  

He is known for his participation in many community and non-profit fundraising efforts, including the Edmonds Community College library addition and remodel, the EdCC Center for Families, and several church building projects.

Van Hollebeke has performed in musical theater, church choirs and community chorales, and has served as a volunteer auctioneer to raise money for schools and various non-profit organizations. 

He swims long distances, between one and two miles each morning, every summer at Yost Pool, and has done so for more than 20 years.

He and his wife Monda have been married for nearly 47 years and have six children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

He has no political ambitions and will not seek election to any office (including mayor) if selected as interim mayor, but would help guide the city back to financial stability by reviewing all options and by working with the council, as well as business and community leaders, to find creative solutions for the city’s future.

Ron Wambolt

“The mayor of Edmonds is the CEO of our city,” Wambolt said.

He said a person qualified to be mayor must have the ability and experience to manage 200+ employees, create and manage a general fund budget of more than $30 million, implement the policies of the city council, take into consideration the views of 41,000 citizens, and promote our city locally, regionally and nationally.

He said he has the background, experience, and qualifications for this position.

Wambolt held operational positions with two Northwest companies over 32 years. he was the general manager of the Canadian subsidiary of Tektronix, a company that had offices across Canada, at the age of 37.

He joined Fluke, headquartered in Everett, in 1979 and became one of the 10 executive officers of the company in 1984

“There were about 1,000 employees in my organization under my supervision – almost 50 percent of the total headcount of the company, and as you would expect that included several levels of management,” Wambolt said.

He reviewed and approved the budgets of 20 different operating companies.

 “As a result of this experience, and my service on the council’s finance committee for four years, I have an excellent understanding of the current financial crisis we face,” he said.

Wambolt said he has extensive experience supervising and motivating multi levels of employees.

And he’s not afraid to make the tough calls, such as cutting staff during several recessions he endured during his career.

“I believe that I offer the opportunity for the most seamless transition in the mayor’s office.

“All candidates will have a learning period, but my background, both in the business world and as a recent City Council member, should allow me to perform the mayor’s duties competently in the shortest amount of time.”

Wambolt also touted his teamwork skills.

“In order to meet sales targets, I needed to work with engineering to get the kind of products that customers wanted to buy; I needed to work with manufacturing to get reliable products with timely availability, and I needed to work with the financial people to establish payment terms that were reasonable for most customers.

“Edmonds needs that kind of mayor and council member teamwork. If I’m fortunate enough to be the selected candidate, I urge all eight of us to put any past differences aside and start with a clean slate.

 “Additionally, I am beholding to nobody. I am not connected to any political party or to any trade union; I am independent. And I have no other activity competing for my time,” he said.

 Todd M Clayton JR
 
Todd Clayton was born in Toms River, NJ, and moved to Washington when he was 14. He has lived in Edmonds about 10 of the past 23 years.

Clayton volunteers at the Edmonds Museum, where he has helped out since moving back here in 2004.

He is a member of the Edmonds 165 Masonic Lodge and does volunteer work at the Edmonds Food Bank.

“I love the city of Edmonds and try to do as much Community Service as I can,” Clayton said.

When he lived in Lynnwood he was the vice president and then president of The Lynnwood Friends group back in the early 90's.

“I choose to apply for the mayor position because I believe I can help the city and get to know more of the people that I wouldn't normally see,” Clayton said. “I think being mayor would be beneficial for the city and for me as well.”

Clayton attended Edmond High School and then Edmonds-Woodway High School from 1989-92, then went to Edmonds Community College and Shoreline Community College before heading off to the UW.

“I have a few good ideas that I believe would generate revenue for the city,” Clayton said. “I have an Open Door policy to where I would want to hear from everyone who lives in the city or even works in the city.

“I believe that a community that works and helps together prospers in the long run.

“My idea of a community is the combination of Communication and Unity, and that is a great goal to achieve.”