TACOMA, WA – Commissioners met during a special session Thursday to review and select four candidates interested in filling the terms for the elected positions currently held by Commissioners Aaron Pointer and Rosie Ayala.
Nineteen interested and eligible people submitted applications during the online candidate recruitments process, which ended Tuesday.
The following have been selected to move forward to interviews for this position:
- Mary Louise Curry, CEO of YES for Early Success and founder of Linked Arms Childcare Association.
- Christopher Davis, neighborhood connections program coordinator for the City of Lakewood and intercultural engagement coordinator for the University of Puget Sound.
- Alisa Lee, electoral program manager for Sage Leaders.
- Tiffany Mendoza, program officer for Proteus Fund.
“From their applications, it is easy to see how they represent a broad range of lived and professional experiences, and they each interact with the Metro Parks system in their unique ways,” said Park Board President Andrea Smith.
You can view the candidates’ resumes and applications here, as well as more details about the process.
Background
This month, two current commissioners are leaving their posts.
On November 18, Pointer announced his decision to retire after 24 years of civic service on the Park Board. His final Board meeting will be Monday.
Following certification of the November General Election, Ayala also submitted her formal resignation from the Board. As a newly elected member of the Pierce County Council, Ayala is required to vacate her elected position on the Park Board before beginning her duties on the County Council in January 2025. Ayala will conclude her service on the Park Board on December 31.
Next steps in the appointment process:
- Dec. 9: The Park Board and representatives from Metro Parks’ four community advisory councils will interview the finalists. Candidate interviews will be conducted in the Boardroom at Metro Parks Tacoma Headquarters. The meeting is open to the public and will be available online for those interested in joining virtually. The interview process will not include public comment.
- Dec. 20: The Park Board will hold a special session in the Boardroom at Metro Parks Headquarters at noon to vote on the appointment of the new commissioner who will fill the remainder of Commissioner Pointer’s term.
- Jan. 13: During their regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m., the Park Board, including the newly appointed commissioner, will review and either confirm or update the list of finalists to be interviewed for the seat vacated by Commissioner Ayala.
- Feb. 10: The Park Board will vote to appoint a commissioner to the final vacant seat.
Pointer’s successor will serve on the Board through 2025. Ayala’s term ends Dec. 31, 2027, but whomever is selected to fill her post would be required to run in the 2025 General Election in order to fulfill the remainder of her term.
The Board of Park Commissioners governs Metro Parks Tacoma and is the policymaking body for the park district. Commissioners serve six-year terms.
Metro Parks was established as the state’s first independent parks agency in 1907 and manages more than 2,900 acres of land. That includes 80 parks, and regional attractions like Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum and the W.W. Seymour Conservatory. The Park District offers hundreds of recreational, environmental and zoological programs that encourage people to play, learn and grow.
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