Community leaders work to build bridges in a divided era
Published 1:30 am Monday, June 1, 2026
EVERETT — Local and state elected officials came together Wednesday to discuss political polarization and strengthening community connections.
Hosted by Snohomish County Council members Jared Mead and Nate Nehring, the Building Bridges Summit at Washington State University Everett invited community members, business leaders and civic partners to take part in the discussion. Mead and Nehring, along with community leader Josh Estes, are founders of the Building Bridges Project nonprofit.
Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, was the featured speaker.
“I appreciated the opportunity to hear from Congresswoman DelBene, as well as state legislators and local mayors on the importance of building bridges across political or ideological divides,” Nehring said in an interview Friday. “It was inspiring to see so much enthusiasm from the community towards the concept of improving civic health and respectful discourse.”
Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor and Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, took part in a round-table discussion with Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin and Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring.
“It was an honor to be part of the panel and to engage in thoughtful, respectful conversation with leaders I have a great deal of respect for,” Jon Nehring said in an email Friday. “When families are dealing with rising costs, public safety concerns, or challenges in their daily lives, they simply want leaders who will listen, work together, and help find real solutions.”
Franklin also enjoyed being part of the panel, she said in an email Monday.
“The panel discussion reinforced something I strongly believe: the challenges facing our communities are complex, and none of us can solve them alone,” Franklin said. “Events like this create space for meaningful dialogue, relationship-building, and finding common ground.”
There seemed to be “widespread agreement” between the panelists, Nate Nehring said, on the need for greater civility in our public discourse, even though they came from different political backgrounds.
Valuable partnerships “can be fostered when partisanship and tribalism are set aside,” he said.
The event also recognized scholarship winners from the Building Bridges Project’s Future Leaders Academy.
“Hearing this year’s winner, Ashlynn, talk about the impact the program had on her and getting to see her proud parents in the audience was a special reminder of why we continue to do this work,” Mead said in an interview Friday.
The Building Bridges Project launched the Future Leaders Academy in 2023 to help young people build the skills to address polarization, the organization’s website says. Nate Nehring, Mead and Estes meet with high school students in their government classes to lead discussions and projects focused on promoting civility.
Getchell High School senior Ashlynn Hager wrote an essay on using civility and conviction to eliminate polarization and won a $1,500 college scholarship.
“I was surprised I won,” Hager said in an interview Monday. “I didn’t have anything planned or prepared. It was nerve-wracking but then I started speaking and it was just like, ‘Oh, this turned out fine.’”
Hager also wrote about her experience with neurocognitive toxicity caused by chemotherapy she received as a child. She survived the cancer, but now deals with short-term memory loss and other disabilities that require accommodations for equal access to education.
That created division amongst her peers, which “mirrors society,” Hager said.
“It’s the small things that actually create the division rather than the big issues,” she said. “It’s the small issues that turn into the big ones.”
After high school, she wants to help grow advocacy for other students who require accommodations, she said. Also, she plans to attend Everett Community College before transferring to Shoreline Community College for its videography and editing program, Hager said.
The event allowed leaders at the state, local, school and federal levels from across the political spectrum to talk and promote civil discourse, Mead said.
“One of the coolest parts of the event each year is the 30 minutes we keep the room open after the conclusion of the program when we all spend time mingling together and making connections with our neighbors,” he said. “We have far more that unites us than divides us, and there is a deeply encouraging appetite within our communities for more honest and meaningful civic dialogue.”
Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay
