Nine apply to fill Carter’s seat on Camas City Council

Nine people have applied to fill a Camas City Council seat left vacant after the surprise resignation of longtime city council member Bonnie Carter in January.

The Camas City Council has until May 8 to fill Carter’s Ward 2 seat, but council members have said they hope to fill the position before the council’s April 21 meeting.

The council application deadline was Friday, March 14.

Those vying for Carter’s Ward 2 seat include business consultant and published author John Bernard; retired law enforcement executive Colene Domenech; semiconductor executive Martin Elzingre; Matt Gardner, the vice president of software engineering at Fulfil; retired businessman Gary Gaskill; Lisa Ann Newman, a retired health scientist administrator for the National Institutes of Health; former educator Alison Livett; James Roy, the senior vice president of Total Computer Solutions, Inc.; and Jill Walters, the former director of business retention and expansion for the Columbia River Economic Development Council.

The Camas City Council will hold a special meeting at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, to interview the applicants.

In their applications, all nine council hopefuls spoke about their love of Camas and desire to improve the city.

“I have lived in Camas for the past 18 years and watched capable and strong people usher changes into our community,” Domenech stated in their application. “Change is hard for many people, but the changes made our community stronger, better and more livable. … I applaud the way the Council educated the public with open forums and transparency. I would like to work for a Council that has the citizens’ best interests at heart.”

Walters said she has “a deep commitment to our community and the City’s values of fostering meaningful connections,” as reflected in her work as a board member for the Camas Educational Foundation, children’s classrooms within the Camas School District and during her tenure as the director of business relations for the Columbia River Economic Development Council.

Elzingre told council members that, although his political experience “is virtually nonexistent,” his “experience building teams and managing complex interactions between disparate individuals is vast” and added that he does not have a specific agenda for wanting to join the city council.

“If chosen, I will serve with humility and integrity, do my best to understand the nuances of the issues, and work with the existing members to find the best solutions,” Elzingre stated in his application.

Roy, who said he has more than 35 years worth of leadership and operational management experience, told council members that his “love for Camas goes without question.”

“I feel that I can build a strong working relationship with the current council members, which is vital toward meeting the challenges of our future,” Roy stated in his application.

Gaskill, who has lived in Camas for 22 years, said he became interested in politics during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I spent most of my life not involved in politics, confident that things were going well and the government was on ‘autopilot,’ ” Gaskill stated in his application. “Then COVID-19 happened, and schools, churches and small businesses closed, but I could still shop at Costco, Home Depot and Walmart. It wasn’t right, and it wasn’t fair. I care very much about the citizens of Camas and understand clearly that the city we live in has a great impact on our quality of life, and it doesn’t happen unless we are fully participating.”

Gardner, who said he has volunteered with the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, said he would draw on his “extensive experience as a technology executive” bringing “strategic planning, multi-year budgeting and cross-functional leadership” to the position if appointed to the vacant Ward 2 city council seat.

“In four to five years, I envision Camas as a thriving, inclusive community where innovation meets tradition and economic growth is balanced with environmental stewardship,” Gardner stated in his application.

Bernard told council members that, throughout the past two decades, he has “helped government leaders, elected and appointed, create high-performing organizations at the local, state, and federal levels,” and now feels he is at the “point in life where I have the time, passion, talent, and expertise to help” Camas, the city he has lived in for nearly seven years.

Newman, who moved to Camas with her husband last year, said she believes she can bring “a fresh perspective” to the city and would rely on her communications, data-analyzing and grant-writing skills as well as her “strong understanding of government rules and regulations.”

Livett said that, as a former mathematics and physics teacher, she understands “the importance of strong communication, organization, and patience.”

“I am committed to making Camas a safe and vibrant place to live,” Livett stated in her application. “As I have retired from teaching, I now have the time, energy, and commitment to fully immerse myself in working as part of the Camas City Council.”

Kelly Moyer: 360-735-4674; [email protected]