Terrace Council appoints Richard Ryan
Published 10:46 am Friday, February 8, 2008
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE
In a span of five weeks, two new faces have joined the City Council.
On Jan. 3, the council appointed Kyoko Matsumoto Wright, a real estate agent and former Planning Commission member, to replace Doug Wittinger, who resigned in December after moving outside of city limits.
On Monday, Feb. 4, the council appointed a second council member from the same list of 10 remaining applicants – Richard Ryan, an elementary school teacher who who owns a music store. He replaces Angela Amundson, who resigned Jan. 22. Ryan’s seat will expire Dec. 31, 2009 and, as with Matsumoto Wright, if he wants to remain on the council, he’ll have to run for re-election.
Their appointments follow the reelection in November 2007 of incumbent council members John Zambrano, Michelle Robles and Laura Sonmore.
The council spent an hour in a non-public meeting Jan. 31 mullling over the list of applicants. Each council member then talked about how hard it was to choose an appointee.
“It was a difficult process,” said Michelle Angrick. We lost two council members. These are people you build relationships with, it is bittersweet. But it also allows us the opportunity to bring two new council members on to this council.”
Ryan, 55, comes from a family connected to public service. His father, Thomas M. Ryan, served as state parks director under former Gov. John Spellman and also was deputy King County Executive under Spellman.
His brother, Terry, is mayor of Mill Creek and brother Tim is a Snohomish County District Court judge in Lynnwood.
Ryan said he applied for the appointment because “I wanted to help develop the city’s vision and policies and, at this time in my life and with my background of skills in education, I felt it was a great opportunity.”
Ryan’s wife, Judy Ryan, chairs the city’s arts commission.
Ryan owns Rock-IT-Music, a store he started in 2005 in Cedar Plaza off of 44th Avenue West. He also teaches percussion at the store.
A Seattle native, he served on the city’s Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission in 1995, volunteers for the annual summer festival, Tour de Terrace, is a member of the Terrace-Brier Lions club and is scout master for Troop 35 Mount Baker Council of the Boy Scouts of America. A graduate of Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle, he has a bachelors degree in music education from Seattle Pacific University, and a masters degree in administration and curriculum from Gonzaga University.
The Ryans have two children and have lived in Mountlake Terrace for 23 years.
Ryan used to play in local rock bands.
“It’s a privilege and an honor to work with an award-winning council and city staff here in Mountlake Terrace,” Ryan said.
