I support Kari McVeigh in her bid to be elected to our County Council.

It was posted in a publication July 3rd “…that five of the six candidates…are vying for…” a position on the Council [that] have “…never experienced the 24/7 demands, nagging issues…being ‘answerable’ for steeply rising costs of living and to increasingly embittered public factions.”

The above description surely sounds like a school district to me whether it be large or small. To effectively deal with myriad issues that face the students, the parents, the faculty, the unions and the taxpayers takes someone of great patience, intellect, sympathy, experience and a clear vision for the district. This sums up my opinion of Kari. If she can work effectively as the superintendent of school districts, then she has the “street cred” to be a member of our County Council.

My latest opportunity to work with Kari was the occasion of her being a facilitator in an intense retreat for an organization redefining its role and mission in our community, and the directions we needed to take in order to see this satisfactorily completed. Kari was impressive with her calm and inclusive leadership, being able to articulate what we all were sharing, asking us probing questions and helping us reach the conclusions we sought.

If all that Kari has done whether here on island or off doesn’t sound like the responsibilities of a County Council position, I don’t know what it would be. Our County faces issues many of which are knotty requiring thoughtful and strong abilities. I have every confidence that Kari is just the right person for us.

Please join me in voting for Kari for County Council.

Gay Graham

San Juan Island