It’s official: Federal Way’s Carol Gregory will become Rep. Carol Gregory. She was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee today to fill the House vacancy created when Rep. Roger Freeman died shortly before the November election – but nevertheless defeated his Republican opponent.
Gregory (D-30th district) is the past president of the Federal Way School Board and a former classroom teacher. Since leaving the classroom, she has worked in a number of other education and public policy positions, including stints as a policy analyst for Gov. Booth Gardner and assistant to the state Superintendent of Public Instruction. Fittingly, she’ll be a member of both the House Education and Higher Education committees, as well as the General Government & Information Technology Committee.
“I am really excited to be appointed to this position by Gov. Inslee,” Gregory said. “I am particularly interested in how we’re going to address the huge education issues that are before us. Since that’s been my career focus, it’s going to be exciting to work on those, as well as transportation and other issues that are important to our district and our state.”
Gregory will be sworn in Monday, January 12, when the 2015-16 session of the Legislature is gaveled into life in Olympia. Unlike more than a dozen other freshmen representatives, however, her initial term will be one year. A special election will be held next November to decide who will serve the second half of the normal two-year term.
