Highlights from my past 4 years as Yakima City Councilmember
During my four years serving the community as a member of Yakima City Council, I have been fortunate to meet many wonderful people and attend meaningful events. This gallery is just a few examples of some of those great moments!
Ribbon cutting for a Worksource Kiosk in the Valley Mall with County Commissioner Kyle Curtis, CEO at South Central Workforce, Amy Martinez, Union Gap Mayor John Hodkinson, and former Yakima Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Verlynn Best.
Speaking at the OIC 50th Anniversary dinner at the Yakima Convention Center.
Swearing in - January 2022, Council Chambers
Dinner with local leaders and Washington State's Secretary of State, Steve Hobbs and his staff. Secretary Hobbs hosted the dinner with Yakima County community leaders for an evening of conversation. Some of those in attendance included Yakima County Auditor Charles Ross, Senator Curtis King, Representative Chris Corry, Representative Bruce Chandler, Representative Bryan Sandlin, JM Perry President Christine Cote, Heritage University President Andrew Sund, Washington Tree Fruit Association President Jon DeVaney, Assistant Washington Secretary of State Kevin McMahon, and Yakima Valley Libraries Executive Director Candelaria Mendoza.
A fun day with the Yakima Trolley's crew when they let me drive a train and we took a trolley ride, too!
Meeting with Washington State Treasurer Mike Pelliccioti and his Chief of Staff Anna Boris, and Yakima area leaders Audel Ramirez, Lilliane Ballesteros and Christina Orteaga at Northtown Coffee.
Singing the National Anthem at a Yakima Pippins game.
With Reverend Robert Trimble at the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast in 2023.
Visiting Washington DC during the National League of Cities annual meeting in 2023. We had a day on the Hill to bring our legislative concerns forward for our city.
Pardoning a turkey on Thanksgiving, 2022 at Sarg Hubbard Park at the Greenway's Turkey Trot.
Pardoning a turkey on Thanksgiving, 2023 at Sarg Hubbard Park at the Greenway's Turkey Trot.
With members of the Yakima-Morelia Sister City Association in 2023, former Yakima Symphony Executive Director, David Rodgers, President Noe Gutierrez, Historian Margaret Luera - and two delegates from Morelia; Francisco Xavier Lara Medina, City Coordinator for Civil Protection and Fire Department of Morelia, and Rodrigo Camacho, Morelia's Fire Chief.
At Barge-Lincoln Elementary in 2022 with Consul to Mexico in Seattle, Héctor Iván Godoy Priske at the unveiling of two beautiful soccer mini pitches. Thanks to the Seattle Sounders FC and their RAVE Foundation for bringing this to Yakima with the help from Club Santos Laguna, University of Washington, Yakima Public Schools, and Earth-Gen. The mini pitches provide access to free, available play spaces where kids can be physically active and play freely in a safe place in their neighborhood.
It was my pleasure to speak at a rally at Millenium Plaza for the SEIU 925 Family Child Care Union tentative collective bargaining agreement in 2023. The care of our youngest citizens is vital to a healthy, thriving community and essential to diverse working families and low-and moderate-income families striving to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. They deserve to be appropriately recognized with fair compensation and benefits.
I attended the 2022 Homeless Person’s Memorial Day Candlelight Vigil in Millenium Plaza, where I read the City of Yakima’s proclamation. There are so many wonderful people and agencies who are working to end homelessness in our city and to make life less difficult for those who are experiencing homelessness and/or food insecurity (Rod’s House, Camp Hope, the Union Gospel Mission, Comprehensive Health, St. Vincent Center Food Bank, Northwest Harvest, Justice Housing Yakima, the YWCA, and SO many more). If we had a magic wand we could fix this quickly. But it is a complicated problem with no easy fix. This event was sponsored by Yakima Neighborhood Health and the Homeless Network of Yakima County. They shine a light on the tragedy of homelessness with the reading of the names of those who have passed on without a home here. It will take continued, collaborative efforts by caring people in our community to make progress. The work is being done, but the need is great and there are so many different issues to address.
I was one of several people asked to speak at the Greater Faith Baptist Church’s founding anniversary (55 years) celebration. It was a wonderful program and great to see so many turn out to recognize this church that has such an important legacy in Yakima.
