Elected Experience: Commissioner, Port of Seattle
Other Professional Experience: Founder, Bryant Christie Inc., a company that helps farmers export (1992-present). Vice President, Northwest Horticultural Council (Yakima, 1985-92). Director, Governor's Council on International Trade (1984-85).
Education: Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service (B.S.F.S., trade/diplomacy, Asia/Latin America)
Community Service: Volunteer night manager, St. James shelter for homeless men (2004-06). Founding board member, Nisqually River Foundation. Former board member of Stewardship Partners, Washington Council on International Trade, Spokane International Trade Alliance. Member, Governor Gregoire's transportation task force. Rotary (Olympia, Yakima, Seattle). 2010 Maritime Public Official of the Year.
Statement: I listen, and I've heard loud and clear what people want. They want a government that cares about them. They want a governor who is effective -- a unifier, not a career politician. They want a governor who will scrutinize programs, fix broken bureaucracies, respect our tax dollars. They want a governor who will focus on children learning, traffic moving, prisons working; on controlling taxes and protecting our environment.
My background is in business. I built a company that operates on both sides of the mountains, that helps Washington's farmers export their crops. I pull people together and fix problems.
As an elected King Co/Seattle port commissioner, I cut taxes without sacrificing services; helped transform government to defend middle cla** jobs; focused on tourism, transportation, reducing air and water pollution and restoring habitat. I was recognized for taking on ‘crony capitalism'.
Here's what I'll do as your governor: 1. Give every kid an equal chance to get ahead by funding and innovating schools. 2. Reinvent high school by including pre-apprenticeships for those not college-bound. 3. Reduce traffic jams by emphasizing capacity, better roads and efficient transit. 4. Rebuild the state budget from zero, reexamining every agency, tax incentive and program. 5. Put a moratorium on new regulations until current ones are justified or eliminated. 6. Preserve working farms and forests; restore salmon, steelhead and orca populations.
My agenda isn't ideological, it's not partisan. It's about us, pulling together, so people can get good jobs here, afford houses, raise families and retire here in this natural beauty we all love and want to protect.
Imagine a governor who works with both Republicans and Democrats, who makes government better, not bigger. It's time government listened. It's time we pull together and start getting stuff done. It's time.