EVERETT — Janice Greene, a former Boeing official and head of the county chapter of the NAACP, joined the Everett mayoral race Tuesday — more than a year before the 2025 election.
The news follows former Everett City Council member Scott Murphy’s announcement last week of his plans to challenge Mayor Cassie Franklin, who plans to run again.
“I know what it means to have a union paycheck, a steady job, and opportunities to advance,” Greene said in a press release Wednesday. “We need a Mayor who respects working people and unions, collaborates with business owners for beneficial community economic outcomes, who advocates for affordable housing and family stability, and attracts the kinds of businesses and quality jobs to our city that give every resident pathways to success — including small and diverse business owners who create a vibrant business community.”
Franklin, who has served as mayor since 2018, wrote in an email her “focus will continue to be on the important work of running our city, efficiently and effectively. My team and I will continue to work collaboratively and decisively to meet today’s challenges and opportunities in our changing community.”
“I’m proud of our many accomplishments,” she wrote, “and look forward to continuing to serve as Mayor of our beautiful city, build on the positive growth in business and industries and represent ALL of Everett across the region and state.”
Franklin will be running for her third term next year.
In an email, Murphy welcomed Greene to the race.
“The people of Everett deserve to have a choice in their elected leaders,” he wrote. “I look forward to continuing to share my vision for Everett and the changes that we need in order to make our community a better place for ALL residents to thrive and succeed.”
For 39 years, Greene worked for Boeing, where she served as diversity education manager, among other positions. She retired in 2017.
She became president of the local chapter of the NAACP in 2008. In an interview, she said she planned to step down at some point during her campaign.
Greene also helms the Women’s Business Enterprise Council Pacific, a group that supports women in business.
In an interview, Greene stressed she “very strongly” supports both unions and small businesses, adding “it’s not us versus them.”
Collaborations between labor, business and local government can increase economic opportunity, she said.
Economic concerns are connected to other issues, she said. For instance, Greene said, people can better educate their children if they are financially secure.
“We need to look at the entire system,” she said.
A priority for Greene is making Everett a more welcoming city, a goal that includes maintaining parks and community centers and “community centered public safety,” she said in the press release.
That vision includes law enforcement, she said in an interview, but also input from residents. What this will specifically look like depends on feedback from people in the community.
More economic opportunity will also advance public safety, she said.
Greene intends to hold “community gatherings — in living rooms and coffee shops across the city” in the spring and summer. Then, she “will formally kick off her campaign,” the press release said.
“I’ve learned over many years of business and organizational leadership – and raising my family – that change takes time, and requires clear communication and genuine appreciation for the perspectives and experiences of others,” she said in the release. “Instead of a traditional campaign, I want to really listen and learn.”
Her endorsements include state Rep. April Berg and Snohomish County Council member Megan Dunn.
This article has been updated to include comment from Scott Murphy.
Sophia Gates: 425-339-3035; sophia.gates@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @SophiaSGates.
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