The following individuals are running for Position #3 (alphabetical by last name):
King Conservation District is holding an election for Seat #3 on the Board of Supervisors. Voting begins January 24, 2023 at 8:00 am and ends February 14, 2023 at 8:00 pm. King Conservation District includes all registered voters in King County (excluding the cities of Enumclaw, Federal Way, Milton, Pacific, and Skykomish that do not participate in the district). Please visit kingcd.org/elections for details.
April Brown
ms.aprilbrown08@gmail.com
Education: Associates of Arts NWIC
Occupation: MindCare Receptionist
Statement: Hello I am an Indigenous person who has grown up in the valley of Auburn and on the Plateu of Enumclaw. I have a unique view on how to conserve the resources we have and use now to ensure those same resources are available to the generations coming up behind us. I have a voice to help preserve the work that was placed in the way my family walks. It started with my great-great grandmother walking for our fishing/hunting rights, after that ground work was in place, my late father worked 40 years in tribal fisheries to ensure we will have our salmon every year. Now it is my time to use my voice, point of view and determination to ensure that work is protected and not lost to human consumption.
My ideas are not clouded by greed or recognition, but by knowing if some one some where doesnt start something to protect the resources we use, we will not have resources.
Csenka Favorini-Csorba
votecsenka@gmail.com
Education: Masters of Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management
Occupation: Deputy Policy Director, WA State Department of Natural Resources
Statement: More than ever before, our outdoor spaces, natural resources, wildlands, and waters not only offer refuge and comfort, but also represent critical solutions to climate change, urban heat, and food insecurity. With our growing population and expanding cities, we must learn to balance the many roles that our environment plays and the benefits it provides.
I believe in responsible stewardship of our working lands and forests, and protection of our most precious natural areas. To me, this transcends urban and rural, suburban and central. Our city trees that provide shelter from the heat are as vital as the farms that feed us; the forests where we hike are as important as those that become wood for our homes.
With a decade of natural resource management and conservation experience, I know firsthand the challenges that we face, and what it will take to build a more resilient and equitable King County.
We need to plan for future impacts of climate change now.
We need smart investments to preserve our remaining natural areas, and conserve our farms, fields, and forests—keeping them working for all of us.
We need to empower communities by providing residents with tools to steward their own backyards, from providing drought-resistant native plants, to preparing their properties to be wildfire ready, to training the next generation of farmers, foresters, and ecologists.
And we need to center BIPOC and marginalized communities who have been historically and systemically excluded from green spaces and the benefits that nature provides. By prioritizing outcomes that create equity and allow us all to flourish, we will build a county that is resilient and more just for everyone.
I’m running to center equity, access, and science-based stewardship of the natural environment that makes our county thrive. I would be honored to earn your vote.
Chris L. Porter
clporter11@mac.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064816386176
Education: I have a Bachelor’s and a Masters
Occupation: Project Program Manager King County Public Health
Statement: I am running for re-election because there is a great deal to do to bring Conservation to all communities. I championed a resolution to address the lack of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Conservation. As the first elected African American who is openly gay, I know the importance of diversity and the need to bring equity to Conservation. I testified in Olympia to address the lack of transparency around elections in Conservation. There are over 4 million voters in the state of Washington and less than one percent participate in Conservation elections; too many voters are being left out due to the old and antiquated process used to administer our elections. I will keep pushing to have our elections moved to a ballot and general election.
During my first term, we saw tremendous change at the King Conservation District. Shifts in staff and leadership and a new executive director committed to environmental justice. I am serving as the vice-chair and supporting and championing the priorities of the Chair, board, and executive director. We have decided to priorities DEI in all our programs and bring services to communities that have been historically left out. One example is a central application for farmers, but that is translated to other languages by native speakers of languages other than English; I insisted that translators be paid for their language expertise.
My true passion in Conservation is as a beekeeper. 1 out of every 3 bites of food is available because of bees; we cannot live without them. As their population and the population of all pollinators continues to fall, every citizen should have a mandate to protect and foster bee and pollinator habitats. We cannot save the bees unless their survival is our priority. I ask for your vote.
King Conservation District is holding an election for Seat #3 on the Board of Supervisors. Voting begins January 24, 2023 at 8:00 am and ends February 14, 2023 at 8:00 pm. King Conservation District includes all registered voters in King County (excluding the cities of Enumclaw, Federal Way, Milton, Pacific, and Skykomish). Please visit kingcd.org/elections for details.