This is the third entry in a series of interviews with candidates for Sumner’s city council.

You work as a regional distribution manager for Contech Construction Products; do you think your job experience would benefit your work with council?:

Over the last decade, my job has allowed me to work with cities, counties, states, environmental groups and others on issues regarding growth, construction, and the preservation of natural habitat. I have seen these organizations handle issues involving growth successfully and in some cases, not so well.  I have worked with environmental agencies that have managed their environment nicely and others that have lost their original focus to the detriment of their community. I will bring this experience, both positive and negative, to the council as we make decisions involving how to best manage growth for the people of Sumner.

You’ve studied history, social studies, education and administration and curriculum. What attracted you to these fields? Do you think they would benefit your work as a member of council?:

I think that most people select their fields of study based on what they think will answer the most questions for them. History and social studies showed me how the society we live in today was built and how it functions now.  The study of history in particular took a lot of fear out of my life. History shows us that people have faced challenges and difficulties in the past and are sure to do so again; that bad times lead to good times and vice versa. My favorite history professor used to quote a verse from Ecclesiastes:  “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”  I’ve been inspired by this verse and it helps me put my knowledge of history to use in the present.  Education and curriculum taught me how to teach and present information in meaningful way, a skill I have found indispensable in and out of the classroom.  My administration training showed me how schools and other organizations work.  I think my education in all these fields will make me a well rounded and effective council member.

How did you come to the Planning Commission?:

I have long been interested in issues surrounding Sumner’s growth and how to effectively mange that growth while maintaining the heart and soul of our city. I thought that serving on the planning commission would help me understand how these issues were handled and allow me to contribute to decisions regarding Sumner’s growth.

What is your family dynamic like? How would you describe your approach to marriage and parenting?:

Becky and I have been married for 23 years and we have three wonderful children. My approach to marriage is to look at it through the prism of friendship and respect. Becky is my friend and I have nothing but the greatest respect for her. I know she feels the same way about me. We were in college when we met and married. Since then I have enjoyed the life we have built together. We enjoy our children and both of us have worked hard to set a good example for them and give them a good start in life. I think parents do well by their children when they do this. Our children are in high school and college and Becky and I are proud of them as young adults. They bring joy to our lives.

Do you have any hobbies?:

I really like to ski and do so as often as I can. I enjoy participating in community musical theater, having performed in productions in Sumner, Puyallup and Enumclaw. I also like to travel, read and cook.

You’re originally from Olympia, but you’ve lived in Sumner for 20 years. How did you come to live here?:

In August of 1991, after graduating from Western Washington University and and student teaching in Elma, Wash., I was looking for a full-time teaching position. A teacher in the Elma School District handed me a printed posting, (pre-internet), for a social studies position at Sumner Junior High. I told him that my wife taught first grade in Tumwater and my goal was to teach in the Tumwater district or somewhere nearby. In fact, I had applied for a position in Tumwater and expected to be called for an interview. He told me to apply for the job in Sumner and use it as a “practice interview” for Tumwater. I received a call from Sumner Junior High for an interview. I drove to Sumner that morning having just found out that my wife was pregnant with our first child. I thought that the interview went well and decided to go downtown to buy my wife a gift. I walked around town for a while and really liked what I saw.  Sumner was and still is about three times as large as Elma, but had a similar small town feel. I was called the next day and asked if I would like to return to the junior high to teach a lesson to a group of students in order to demonstrate my teaching skills. By then Becky and I had decided that Sumner would be a great place to live and raise our baby. The lesson went well and I was offered the position. A few days later, I was looking for a place to live in the classified ads at the Dairy Freeze, (again pre-internet), and the owner told me of a house for rent on Washington Street. He sat down and explained to me why Sumner was such a nice place to live and welcomed me to town. I received a call from Tumwater Middle School the next day asking me to interview for a social studies position. I thanked them for their consideration and declined the interview.

What made you decide to run for elected office? Have you had longstanding political ambitions, or is the process new to you?:

I have always been interested in government and politics and the origin and modern interpretations of the U.S. Constitution in particular. As a history teacher I enjoyed teaching American and Washington state history and always taught my students that democracy is an active thing, not a spectator sport.  Until recently, my participation has been to vote and support candidates and causes that I believed in.  I decided to run for council because I really like Sumner and I think I can use my experience and talent to help keep it a great place to live, work, and do business into the future.

Why did you select Council Position 7 over the other three open races?:

I heard from people in town that Cindi, Curt, and Jon were running for their seats. I had not heard whether Leroy was going to run for his seat, so I took a chance and filed.  Leroy is a well respected council member who has served the people of Sumner very well for many years.   If he chose not to run, I thought I would be the best person to carry on his legacy of honorable service to the people of Sumner.

Leroy Goff has said that he likes you as a potential successor to his seat. What are your thoughts on that?

I respect Leroy very much and am truly honored by his comments.

What city issues are important to you? Do you have aspects of city life and law that you would like to focus on during a council term?:

Managing the city’s budget during these hard economic times is critical.  I also think effective management of Sumner’s growth is very important. Allowing big box stores and the like into a city might be an easy source of revenue, but such decisions must be considered in the context of keeping the unique elements of a city intact. I would like to focus on maintaining our vital downtown core. I visit many other cities in the Puget Sound area during the course of my work week and am always proud to say I am from Sumner. If one of my customers has visited Sumner, they mention our beautiful downtown without fail. If a client has not been here, I mention our beautiful downtown and encourage them to visit.  Sumner has many other great things to offer, but I think our downtown core is unique.

How would you describe your personal political philosophy?:

Like many people I started out somewhat liberal and over time have become somewhat conservative, not going to the extreme in either point of view. I look at individual issues and candidates and decide based on what I think will be to the benefit to the community. The community could be myself as an individual, the entire world, or anything in between.  America has always been at its best when we use our common sense. I try to use my own common sense as best I can when making political decisions.

How would you describe your experience campaigning so far? How have voters responded to you, and what issues seem to be most important to them?:

My experience so far has been positive.  People in town have given me a great deal of positive response and have encouraged me in my candidacy.  It has been wonderful to talk to people around town, many of whom are my former students or their parents.  People in town have spoken to me about growth issues involving the downtown area, Orton Junction, the industrial area in the north as well as the chemical tank farm. I used to own a business in Sumner and I found the city easy to work with. I have spoken to several other business owners recently and I have been happy to see that they feel the same.  My campaign has a Facebook page that I encourage citizens to visit and express their opinions or ask questions on issues important to the city.  They can also visit my website at www.mikelemaster.com.