In Their Own Words: Meet Ronald Wastewater District Position 1 Challenger Bob Ransom

CANDIDATE PROFILE INFORMATION:

What is your full, legal name? 

Robert Lauren Ransom

Where do you work and what is your job title?

Retired Human Resource Director/Consultant and Retired City Councilman & Mayor. Part Time –Licensed Mental Health & Rehabilitation Counselor at Ransom Enterprises.

When and Where Were You Born?

Nov. 14,1940 at Portland, Oregon.

Where do you live now and how long have you lived there?

I have lived in Shoreline for 40 years on the same block, and 32 years in the same house.

 Spouse or domestic partner if any:

Georgene Sharon Ransom (dead).-married 45 years

Children:

Tamara G. Divin, Dr. David L. Ransom (Pharm. D.), Kimberly S. Ransom,

Jeanne L. Erdman, and Patricia R. Ransom

Education (include graduation date(s), if any):

B.S. (1963) in Psychology, Portland State University

M.S. (1969) in Education (Educational Psychology), Portland State University

M.P.A. (1979) in Public Administration –HR/Personnel, Un. of Puget Sound

Military Service (include year(s) of discharge, if any):

None, but I worked as a contract Counseling Psychologist with disabled veterans for nine years for the US Dept of Veteran Affairs division of Vocational Rehabilitation  and Counseling.

Memberships and affiliations with clubs and other organizations:

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) - Professional Member

American Psychological Association - Life Professional Member

   Divisions (5) Psychological Measurement  & Evaluation, (14) Industrial/

    Organizational Psychology, and (17) Counseling Psychology.

American Counseling Association –Professional Member

   Divisions –American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, Association for                      

   Assessment in Counseling and Education.  

Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (for Licensed MHC)

National Board for Certified Counselors – NCC, and NCCC (Career)

Council for Certified Rehabilitation Counselors –CRC

North American Society of Adlerian Psychology –Nationally Certified

National Rehabilitation Counselor Association –former State Board member.

Shoreline Chamber of Commerce - member, former Board Member & Chair

    Of Government Affairs.

Past Board Member of six non-profit organizations with up to $6 million budgets.

     e.g. Cascade Youth Music Association -Board member 1995-2001, Board

     President 2000-2001, Budget $ 6 million, ran Cascade Bingo Parlor and

     Cascade Drum & Bugle Corp (ranked 10th Nationally) now called NW Youth

     Music Association. It was then located in Shoreline.

Have you or a business you owned (or had principal interest in) ever

filed bankruptcy?

Never.

As an adult, have you been convicted or charged with a crime other

than a minor traffic violation?

Never

CAMPAIGN INFORMATION:

Web site: None

Email address: RansomRL@aol.com

Phone number: 206-546-9310/Fax 206-546-9311

Campaign manager: Robert L. (Bob) Ransom

Campaign manager contact information: 206-546-9310

PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE(S):

Elected: 9 times.

   1983 -1991 Shoreline School District Board of Directors

   1983 -1995 Shoreline Park & Recreation District Board of Commissioners

   1995 -2008 City of Shoreline, City Councilman, Mayor 1/2006 to1/2008

         (elected 04/1995, 11/97, 11/99, 11/2003)

Other campaigns for public office:

    2002  32nd District - State Representative, Position# 1.

THIS CAMPAIGN:

What is the primary reason you are running for this office?

  To continue to serve my community, which I did for 25 years.

   I was retired but my wife died, and I believe I needed to get involved again.

What will be your top three priorities if you get elected and why?

1)    Manage an effective and efficient wastewater/sewer district and keep

costs low and efficiency high. The district services the City of Shoreline & Point Wells. The district has a $13 million budget with $9.5 million as a pass through budget for waste pumping and treatment to King County & Edmonds. It has 15 employees.

2)    Have a impact on the development of Point Wells.

3)    Assuming the contract agreed to and signed in 2002 for a binding commitment of assumption of the district as a division of the City of

Shoreline goes forward to make it smoothly and to everyone’s satisfaction.

I was on the City Council when it was agreed to, and my opponent (Arnold Lind) was one of the commissioners who participated in the discussions and signed the commitment. The contract allowed RWWD to develop and

Administer the 60% of the City that the City had the right to have as a sewer district, but only on the condition that RWWD become a City Division on a set date in 2017. The state law for City assumption does not require a vote of the people and it has been challenged in Court and found to be valid without a vote.

What sets you apart from the other candidates and/or previous office holders?

1)    Human Resource and counseling skills in helping individuals and groups

to see the other groups point a view and working  to get them all working together for their common good. Also, given “Diamond” award (5th and highest level) by National League of Cities for Leadership and training in getting other elected leaders to negotiate compromises.

2)    Willingness and desire to see all the City governments and districts

Work together for their common good. The Ronald WW District is too

Stand alone and not working with the other City jurisdictions.

3)    I have a greater budgetary and fund accounting background.

4)    I have experience testifying before legislative and congressional committees and obtaining funding for local projects.

How much money do you expect your campaign to spend on this election?

     $1,500, I amended my C1 to be a Mini-Campaign.

What groups or individuals are your major endorsers?

1)    32nd District Republicans, and King County Republicans, including endorsements of Dan Thwing (32nd Chair), Lisa Thwing (KC Executive Committee), and people such as Art Coday, MD.

2)    Connie and Sammy Sampson, former president of Filipino Association

     3)  Sunny Kim, Executive Dir.  Korean Chamber of Commerce

     4) John Chang, Former Shoreline City Council Member & Business owner   

      And others