10 apply for soon-to-be vacant Federal Way City Council seat

Ten members of the Federal Way community submitted their applications for the soon-to-be vacant City Council Position No. 2. The spot will open in January after Councilwoman Kelly Maloney vacates her seat at the end of December.

Maloney cited increased work demands during a time city issues have increased as the reason for her resignation.

After Maloney announced her departure on Oct. 19, the future vacancy was advertised for three weeks. The deadline to apply was extended for a week to Nov. 23. The call for applications was forwarded to current city volunteer commissioners and board members, the Federal Way school district, Federal Way libraries and was also posted online at City Hall.

City officials say the position is an at-large position with the council member receiving a salary of $1,184.50 per month. The city also contributes $475 monthly to a health reimbursement plan.

The remaining council members will interview each applicant and appoint one person to fill the vacancy in January 2017. Both the interviews and the meeting they appoint the council member will be open to the public. The unexpired term will run through the certification of the November 2017 General Election.

The applicants are as follows:

Sofia Mayo

Occupation: Port of Seattle

According to her application, Mayo has 18 years of public sector experience working in procurement, public works contracting, accounting and inventory management. Her experience includes implementing policies and resolutions for a local port district, a municipality, a transit district and school district. As a public servant, she says she understands the unique opportunities public agencies encounter when needing to provide services to the public in an efficient and transparent manner. Mayo has a master’s certificate in government contracting from George Washington University; a master’s degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco; along with being honored as the “Rising Star” in 2008 by the American Society for Public Administration, Sacramento Chapter, for her commitment to the public sector. As a resident with a young family, she said she understands the importance of caring for the community by exploring options that leave Federal Way better for those who will remain after us.

To view her complete application, click here.

Anthony Murrietta

Occupation: Teamsters Local 763

According to his application, Murrietta works with municipalities representing working men and women throughout the Puget Sound region. He has represented a wide variety of positions from manual labor to highly skilled and educated workers. As a negotiator, he said he has learned to exercise patience, observe carefully and not react emotionally or too quickly. He believes it is important to listen to citizens, use his knowledge of local government, professional relationships, diplomacy, parliamentary procedure, and common sense to think pragmatically when acting on behalf of the city.

To view his complete application, click here.

Robert (Bob) Celski

Occupation: IPC, USA Inc

According to his application, Celski said the four years of experience on the council from 2012-2015 qualify him for this position. During this time he said he gained unique insight on the operation of the city government, including chairing the Land Use Transportation Committee and member of Finance, Economic Development, and Regional Affairs Committee during all four years. If appointed, he said he would hit the ground running with little lost since he left the council less than a year ago. This experience, together with his years of owning and managing businesses, as well as his 12 years as an Army officer, enhance his value on the council and to the city.

To view his complete application, click here.

Christopher Adekoya

Occupation: U.S. Small Business Administration

According to his application, Adekoya gained his leadership and administrative skills from his experience as loan coordinator for U.S. Small Business Administration; legal instrument examiner for U.S. Coast Guard; law librarian/legal assistant, U.S. Social Security Administration and Washington State Department of Corrections. He acquired negotiation, collaboration and prioritization skills while serving as a faculty member in three colleges and civil service commissioner with the city of Federal Way. His accountability principle and fairness skills were acquired while serving as an independent salary commissioner and college professor with Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath falls, Ore., University of Innsbruck, Austria and University of Ilorin and his planning, project management and policy articulation were acquired while serving as consultant with Paccar Incorporated and as a planning commissioner with city of Federal Way. Apart from holding a doctorate from Oklahoma State University, and master’s of information science from the University of Washington, Seattle, he has served as head of a college department and director of a law library.

To view his complete application, click here.

M. Hope Elder

Occupation: South Auburn Medical Clinic

According to her application, Elder understands the necessity of “doing your homework” before council meetings so one can be properly informed to make a decision, as she was a previous council member for Federal Way in the 1990s. Elder said the general public sees only a quick vote and most do not understand that issues have gone through council committee meetings and have been discussed at great length. Elder currently serves on the city’s Planning Commission.

To view her complete application, click here.

Roger Flygare

Occupation: Roger G. Flygare and Associates

According to his application, Flygare has served on many boards and committees for private and nonprofit corporations over the years. In doing so, he said he has developed a great respect for working collegiality with fellow board members, which he will take to the council. He said it’s OK to disagree but to do so in a way to not lose sight of the working relationship that must exist in order to work for the citizens of the community. Flygare said it’s not about him, it’s about the community.

To view his complete application, click here.

Rose (Sharry) Edwards

Occupation: Group Health Cooperative

According to her application, Edwards said she has a deep connection to the Federal Way community. As a council member, she said she would bring her experience in working with the public to enhance the quality of life for residents. She’s skilled and experienced in mediation, negotiation and bargaining and is known for being an advocate for the people. Edwards said she understands the struggles of the working class, senior citizens and those struggling to make ends meet, which has left her with a passion to help promote job creation, neighborhood preservation and economic growth. Her goal is to serve on the City Council as a hard-working advocate for the public.

To view her complete application, click here.

Diana Noble-Gulliford

Occupation: Retired

According to her application, Noble-Gulliford’s said her main experience that qualifies her for the position of City Council member is that she has been a council member before. She served on the Land Use Committee, utilizing her experience from serving a six year term as a city of Federal Way Planning Commissioner when Federal Way became a city. She has served on the King County Boundary Review Board and previous citizen groups that have addressed land use issues, which has given her a “thorough understanding of land use and zoning and how it is implemented in our city.” Her experience in real estate and banking has also given her knowledge in various types of development, local neighborhoods and how zoning impacts peoples’ lives, she said.

To view her complete application, click here.

Gregory Baruso

Occupation: Port of Seattle Fire Department

According to his application, Baruso said, as a member of the city’s Diversity Commission, he has the responsibility to the City Council, mayor and citizens of the city to assist, enhance and embrace the diverse cultures that the city is so rich in and to advise the council on any diverse issues. Being a member has helped him understand the needs and wants of the citizens, and he has gained a unique perspective on how the community needs to come together. He said his insights on safety, collective bargaining agreements, dispute resolution and project management are key to being a successful council member. As a former Legislative candidate for the 30th Legislative District, Baruso said keen knowledge and partnerships of Legislative members will be paramount in obtaining and assuring the sustainability of the region and city – a task he said he can assist in.

To view his complete application, click here.

Mark Talbert

Occupation: Highline College/StartZone

According to his application, Talbert has lived in Federal Way for 14 years and was born in South Carolina. As a Southerner, he said he finds he has a different perspective than most North westerners – Southerners speak plainly and speak their own minds. He believes people find this refreshing, and that people of all types have found him easy to talk to. He said the majority of his career has been in the hospitality industry where he’s served people from all over the world and has managed people who have spoken little to no English, yet still found a way to get the job done. He said he’s been fortunate to have the same diversity in his friendships and roommates, and has seen the beauty in diversity and commonality of humanity. This is who he will be as a City Council member, he says.

To view his complete application, click here.