Mayor Marilyn Strickland. Kind of has a nice ring to it. The likelihood of that very thing being on the lips of everyone in Tacoma just increased dramatically, as Strickland has announced she is now officially vying for the spot of T-town top dog. Recently elected to Tacoma City Council, Strickland will now seek the seat to be vacated by Mayor Bill Baarsma, whose term ends at the end of 2009.



From her office window at the Bates Technical College downtown campus, Strickland says she can see many of Tacoma’s defining features — City Hall, the Port of Tacoma, and in the distance, Mt. Rainier. She made the decision to run with the city in her sights — its past, present, and its future.



“I didn’t just wake up and say I want to be mayor,” says Strickland, who grew up in Tacoma and has seen what it’s like to lead Tacoma in positions such as Vice-Chair of the Public Safety, Human Services and Education Committee, the Government Performance and Finance Committee, on the board of Safe Streets, Pierce County Regional Council and as a member of the Theatre District Association. “You start to look at things differently when you’re a public official. You walk around looking for things we can do to improve the city. You feel responsible for everything. I’ve been a council member long enough to see that we can make improvements, but not long enough to be entrenched. When people ask me why I got involved in politics, the honest answer is that I love Tacoma.”



Born in Seoul, Korea, Strickland and her family moved to Tacoma in 1967 when her father was stationed at Fort Lewis. She currently serves as the Interim Director of Marketing and Communications for Bates Technical College. She has 20-plus years of professional experience in the corporate, small business and nonprofit sectors. 



And all of that’s fine — her qualifications would make her a broad-based, effective leader during a critical time in Tacoma’s his/herstory. But Strickland has a few other things that Tacoma really needs — she’s got style, and heart, deep roots in the community, tons of charisma, and real connections to people from all walks of life.

Strickland says she’s running for mayor because she believes that Tacoma has made dramatic progress during the past decade, and that she wants to help her home town maintain its momentum.



“Just yesterday I went to the Tacoma Community Center, and they were talking about building a community garden — not just for the sake of growing food, but as a way to bring the community together,” she says. “When I see people rolling their sleeves up like that it makes me hopeful. A challenging economy isn’t a reason to stand still.”



“The current economic climate has touched each and every one of us. It’s important that we evaluate our priorities and shape a collective vision for our city that will serve as our road map for the future. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we build alliances and work toward shared goals.”



Strickland ran for council on an education platform, and says that will remain a top priority if she is elected. Beyond education, Strickland says it’s time we started taking care of existing businesses and residents in Tacoma, in addition to working to draw them from outside. She says one of the best ways to do that is to work hard to involve everyone in local political process.



“I’ve formed a lot of relationships with people that cross all ages, all races, all zip codes,” she says. “This has to be about coalition building, alliance building. That’s the only way we’ll continue to improve.”