Government Affairs · Coalition Building · Advocacy
People, coalitions, policy. Progress built to last.
Approach
Thirty-plus years in Washington politics have taught me that the fights that matter are rarely won by one organization or one voice. They are won by coalitions that may look unlikely at first — labor and business, environmentalists and developers, insurers and homebuilders — but can move together when the shared interest is made concrete.
My work is to build the infrastructure that makes those coalitions possible: the relationships, strategy, campaign discipline, volunteer and professional teams, and practical plan for getting to yes — or stopping a bad idea before it takes hold. There is always a next fight. The work is to have the trust, tools, and coalition capacity ready before it arrives.
Career
At PEMCO, my work is to see around corners: anticipate legislative and regulatory risk early, explain the stakes clearly, and build the coalitions needed to influence outcomes in Washington and Oregon. Since 2013, that has meant working across major insurance and mobility policy issues, including transportation network companies, wildfire, autonomous vehicles, distracted driving, consumer protection, and insurance affordability.
My current focus is wildfire: building a practical, cross-sector effort to support mitigation, community resilience, and shared risk education among insurers, homebuilders, lenders, realtors, public officials, and communities.
In 2001, much of South Lake Union was defined by surface parking, warehouses, and underused industrial land. By 2012, it had become home to Amazon's headquarters, a growing biotech and life-sciences cluster, new housing, and one of the nation's most successful urban redevelopment stories.
More than capital was needed. It took public infrastructure, zoning changes, civic trust, and advocates across labor, environmental groups, neighborhood organizations, ethnic organizations, and business communities working toward a shared vision.
In the early 1990s, downtown Seattle faced visible strain: Frederick & Nelson closed in 1992, other retail anchors weakened, and Boeing layoffs reinforced anxiety about the region's economic exposure. Even as the broader regional economy remained resilient, downtown faced real uncertainty around retail strength, safety, and future investment. Beginning in the mid-1990s, Councilmember Jan Drago and other civic leaders kick-started the city's response — and as her legislative aide, I helped turn that response into strategy, votes, and outcomes.
Before the wins came a loss: an early state legislative campaign I managed that ended in defeat and taught lessons no easy win could have. Then came Margarita Prentice's 1992 state senate campaign, which I managed to a 72% victory, along with an early voter database I built for a Washington state legislative race. The voter database was not a novelty; it was infrastructure: updated, enriched, and reusable for the next campaign.
Community
A call about temporary space turned into an eleven-year commitment: first helping secure public funding and space, then serving on the board and later as board chair. The same approach that drives my professional work — find the coalition, build the institution, make it last — shows up here, too.
Track Record
20+ critical outcomes across Washington since 2014. Winning matters. So does stopping the wrong bill.
Beyond Mary's Place
"There is always a next fight. The work is to have the trust, tools, and coalition capacity ready when it arrives."
Contact
I am not looking for the next thing, but I make time for the right conversation, the right cause, and the right candidate. If you want to think through a political challenge, talk strategy, build a coalition, or compare notes on what is happening in Washington, reach out.