While the election season in Shoreline boasts three open positions with three candidates apiece, Lake Forest Park will see one contested race and three unopposed positions.
Among the unopposed is current Lake Forest Park Mayor Dave Hutchinson, who is running for his fourth term as mayor. Commonly known simply as “Mayor Dave,” Hutchinson said his decision to seek another term was prompted by his desire to see a number of city projects, including development of Towne Centre and the Lake Forest Park Legacy Project, come into fruition.
Current council members Ed Sterner and Dwight Thompson are also unopposed in this year’s election. Sterner and Thompson were unopposed, as well, in their races for city council in 2003.
“It’s a sign that Dave (Hutchinson) Ed (Sterner) and I are all running unopposed,” Thompson said. “I think Lake Forest Park residents are very pleased with the focus and the direction of our city and such voter confidence is a testament to the council as a whole. There are people who will run against folks because they’re unhappy with the way government is progressing but that’s not the case in Lake Forest Park.”
Thompson said he wants the opportunity to continue working on projects throughout Lake Forest Park, including the redevelopment of Towne Centre and the Legacy Project. He has been a proponent of finishing the city’s sewage project and supports a citywide wireless Internet study.
Sterner said he would like to see the Burke Gilman Trail and the new sewage system completed. He said the council was fortunate to be able to complete their town center guidelines in a proactive manner and hopes to see those guidelines implemented by the new owner.
“I think we’re making great progress in our city and I want to help the city continue on what I believe is a very positive path,” Sterner said.
Councilman Roger Olstad is not running for reelection. The race for the open seat is between Joseph Hauth and Catherine Stanford.
“I think it’s great that the open seat is being contested by two great candidates,” Sterner said.
Council Position No. 2
Joe Hauth, director of Research and Strategic Planning for Seattle Community Colleges, said he hopes to use his experience to collaborate with city council members and the mayor on innovative initiatives such as the Legacy Project.
From 2001 to 2004, Hauth served on the Lake Forest Park City Planning Commission and was involved in developing Lake Forest Park’s current Comprehensive Plan elements. He facilitated strategic planning for the Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation and served on the Thornton Creek Project (now known as the Homewaters Project). Hauth has also volunteered in a variety of capacities for the Shoreline Public Schools.
Hauth’s 20 years of professional experience includes providing non-partisan policy and fiscal analyses, and committee staff support to the Washington State legislature. He also has provided contract research for federal, state and local agencies, including legislative and rulemaking support. In 2004 Hauth joined the Seattle Community College District, which educates and trains more than 50,000 students annually. He leads long-term strategic planning efforts and new initiatives to keep pace with the changing needs of students and industry.
Hauth and his wife, Susan, moved to Lake Forest Park nine years ago. Their daughter attends Brookside Elementary School.
Born and raised in Eastern Washington, Hauth pursued his undergraduate studies in political science and business administration at the University of Portland. After graduating from UP with honors, he was awarded a Rotary Foundation Graduate Scholarship, which he used for postgraduate studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. In 1996, Hauth received his master’s in public administration from the University of Washington with a concentration in environmental policy and natural resource management.
Catherine Stanford said she is grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve her community and believes that she has the experience and skills Lake Forest Park needs.
During her campaign in 2005 she said she learned about the hopes, issues and ideas of the citizens of Lake Forest Park.
Stanford said she is experienced in citizen outreach, planning, negotiating and mediating real estate decisions with a career that spans more than 28 years in commercial real estate in the public and the private sectors. She owns the consulting firm, CA Stanford Consulting, where she assists clients in government and public affairs; strategic planning; development; and historic preservation. She also teaches classes in strategic facilities planning and project management.
The director of Real Estate for the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority for 15 years, Stanford was responsible for the development of the LaSalle Senior Housing Project and had oversight of the commercial and residential property management, farm program and capital construction and facilities planning. She served as the lead liaison for the market with other downtown organizations and the city of Seattle.
Stanford served on the Lake Forest Park Planning Commission from 1990 to 2000, chairing from 1996 to 2000. During that time, the commission developed the first comprehensive plan under the Growth Management Act. She served on the Economic Development Commission as the liaison for the Planning Commission and laid out initial plans for establishing a farmer’s market in Lake Forest Park. She is a board member of the Friends of Third Place Commons.
Stanford has lived in Lake Forest Park with her husband, Tom Olsen, for the past 18 years. The couple have been married for 27 years and have two children and two granddaughters. They enjoy cycling, sailing, gardening, cross- country skiing, and time with their two rescued dogs and one cat.
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