Mayor Strickland Named a Top Pro-Growth Leader
Mayor Marilyn Strickland selected as one of the country’s top pro-growth progressive leaders
Today, Mayor Marilyn Strickland was selected as one of 15 rising leaders from across the United States to join the NewDEAL, a national network that is committed to highlighting state and local elected officials who are pro-growth progressives.
“I am honored to join these leaders from across the country who have worked to champion ideas that build growth in their communities,” said Mayor Strickland. “I grew up in South Tacoma, and I’ve been a downtown resident for over a decade. I believe in the potential of Tacoma, and I am committed to helping it become a model city for the Pacific Northwest.”
Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland and U.S. Senator Mark Begich of Alaska, honorary chairs of the NewDEAL, recognized Mayor Strickland for the breadth and depth of her work. Now in the third year of her first term as mayor, she has championed several initiatives that will benefit residents, neighborhoods and businesses in the greater Tacoma region.
These include making significant infrastructure investments at the Point Ruston waterfront to spur development and improve public access; raising the city’s business and occupation tax threshold from $75,000 to $250,000 – providing tax relief for 5000 small businesses; partnering with the Port of Tacoma, University of Washington Tacoma, the Puget Sound Partnership and the Center for Urban Waters to launch a clean water research and science hub that seeks to promote innovation and entrepreneurship; conducting a citywide assessment to develop strategies focused on youth gang prevention; launching a citywide community gardens initiative with the goal of making Tacoma the city with the highest number of community gardens per capita.
Mayor Strickland also spearheaded the creation of the City of Destiny Scholarships with the College Success Foundation to promote college readiness and internships for students in high demand occupations such as nursing, environmental science, engineering and other fields related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Sworn in as mayor of Tacoma in January 2010, Mayor Strickland previously served as a city council member. Born in Seoul, Korea, she is a graduate of the University of Washington and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Clark-Atlanta University. She has professional experience in both the private and public sectors. She served as development officer for the Tacoma Public Library and has held management positions with the American Cancer Society, Starbucks Coffee Company and JayRay Communications where she worked with Tacoma Public Utilities to help launch Click!Network, America’s first municipally owned telecommunications network.
Mayor Strickland serves on several local, regional and national boards. She is chair of the Tacoma Employees’ Retirement System Board of Directors and the Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners. She also serves on the advisory board at the University of Washington Tacoma, is on the Tacoma Pierce County Economic Development Board executive committee, the Sound Transit Board of Commissioners operations committee, the Puget Sound Regional Council executive committee, the U.S. Conference of Mayors Education Reform Task Force, the U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council and the U.S. Small Business Administration Advisory Council for Underserved Communities.
About the NewDEAL
The NewDEAL is committed to helping pro-growth progressive leaders share their innovative ideas, and the public is encouraged to nominate state and local elected leaders on its website: newDEALLeaders.org.
19 comments
E Erik B. July 12, 2012
Kudos!
J Jesse July 12, 2012
“Mayor Marilyn Strickland selected as one of the country’s top pro-growth progressive leaders” — Exit133 via Newswire
I am not sure if I could dream up a better accolade than this for a Tacoma Mayor. Great job Mayor Stricklland!!!
F fredo July 12, 2012
She may have done a lot of good things but in the final analysis her job is to provide basic city services in a cost effective manner while maintaining a balanced budget. The city infrastructure is crumbling and we’ve been running a multimillion dollar budget deficit for 10 months.
She’s like the high school student who is involved in every after school activity but can’t turn in her homework on time.
C Chalky White July 12, 2012
Poor Fredo. He’s the mediocre kid who can’t get a date to the prom and doesn’t have the courage to get involved in any school teams or activities. Instead, he obsesses over those who can and do.
F fredo July 12, 2012
Poor Chalky, instead of addressing issues raised by other commenters he focuses on making personal attacks.
For the record, I didn’t attack Mayor Strickland personally. I only commented on her performance as Mayor of Tacoma. If you didn’t like my analysis, I’m sorry. I call ‘em as I see ‘em.
J jessica July 13, 2012
Marilyn Strickland would have been kind to everyone in high school. She would have taken her lunch tray and sat next to Fredo just to be nice to him because he is unattractive and socially awkward and could use a friend. Congratulations, dear mayor! Keep up the outstanding work! You can always count on my vote!
J JJ July 13, 2012
More Growth = More Destruction of Earth’s environment and overpopulation.Just a bad idea generally.A better idea is sustainability and inter-generational future human survival as compared to self destructive short term greed and economic expansion.
T talus July 13, 2012
JJ, I’m partially with you, as I question the sustainability of an economy focused on growth instead of sustainability. That said, sustainability in the Puget Sound region pretty much depends on Tacoma’s growth. As more people move to the region, cities like Tacoma, which have more capacity to handle density, need to grow in terms of population and economic activity. If Tacoma doesn’t grow, Pierce County is doomed to a future of (even worse) sprawl and traffic, and the result will be a quality of life for humans and wildlife alike that is much worse than it needs to be.
Oh, and congrats to Mayor Strickland — much deserved!
A astrid July 13, 2012
Mayor Strickland is awesome, because in her mind, economic growth and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. According to the article, her projects have touched upon both areas. Good job, Mayor Strickland!
F fredo July 13, 2012
“She would have taken her lunch tray and sat next to Fredo just to be nice to him because he is unattractive and socially awkward and could use a friend.” jessica
ha, well that’s a funny idea anyway.
I think this comment shows a tendency for people who can’t reconcile the mayors overabundance of goodwill with her underabundance of mayoral abilities…to launch a personal attack.
It’s sloppy argumentation… but I’m used to it.
F Frank Huffington July 14, 2012
Fredo, I think what’s sloppy here is your analysis of Strickland’s mayoral skills. She is doing quite well given the fact that Tacoma isn’t in a vacuum and it is a city that exists within a greater regional and global economy that is pretty fragile. Show a little respect, and have the intellectual honesty to acknowledge that likening your mayor to a high school student who is overextended and unfocused is pretty disrespectful given what she has accomplished during her term in office. And what is with the high school analogy? Is that seriously your main point of reference? High school? That says a lot.
F fredo July 14, 2012
Frank I understand your comment. We just have a different opinion of Strickland’s effectiveness. I never said she hasn’t done anything good for the city. In particular I would note the elimination of B&O taxes for some small businesses. That’s to her credit and worth mentioning.
However, her habit of blaming the national economy for everything bad in Tacoma is beginning to wear thin. Other cities are balancing their budgets and they are suffering from the recession just like Tacoma.
I frequently use analogies to make my point of view more clear to readers. Sorry that you didn’t get it. I could have used corporate america or the white house as an analogy but high school fit the mayors situation a little better.
L Lissette Newman July 17, 2012
Fredo has the hots for the Mayor. Why else is he so obsessed with her? He wonders why she’s not at Council Meetings, he always comments, he follows City Hall business abnormally closely… Kind of creepy if you ask me. I’m also willing to bet Fredo has never left Pierce County. THis is why his only frame pf reference is high school.
F fredo July 17, 2012
Lissette, did you have a comment on the Mayor’s leadership “abilities” or did you just want to go with the personal attack thing?
C Chalky White July 17, 2012
I think Lisette is making an observation about your pattern of behavior Fredo. Did you ever spend this much time obsessing about Mayor Baarsma?
F fredo July 17, 2012
chalky, don’t become so obsessed with my postings
do you spend this much time obsessing about other commenters with whom you disagree?
two personal attacks against me in one thread?
You hardly sound qualified to give folks advice about obsessive behaviors. :)
C Christine July 21, 2012
Someone called Fredo “Eyore”, a while ago, He’s so grumpy that most people just ignore him now.
That being said, good job Mayor Strickland! I know you came into office with a load of garbage to work with; tanking revenues, heavy expenditures, etc; but all-in-all, not bad handling. I sure wouldn’t want the job.
F fred davie July 22, 2012
“He’s so grumpy that most people just ignore him now. “ Christine
I guess we could say that your powers of observation are lacking Christine. People not only don’t ignore me, they are completely and entirely obsessed with every word I post.
I have an observation of my own. An awful lot of folks who are lacking in analytic and argumentative skills are sure astute in name-calling skills. That would include you, Christine.
C Christine July 22, 2012
Megalomaniacal, Fred? Oopsie, posted your real name by mistake.