OLYMPIA – Representatives Bill Ramos and Lisa Callan were sworn in on Monday, January 14 as the 5th Legislative District’s new state House delegation in Olympia.
Rep. Lisa Callan brings diverse experience and expertise to the Legislature. Callan has worked as a Boeing engineer and project manager, and in software development consulting. She has served on the Issaquah School District School Board and as an active leader and volunteer with her son’s PTSA. Callan and her family live in Issaquah where she has been active in various other community groups including the Eastside Human Services Forum board. Her experience in education policy and systems thinking inform her work at the state legislature.
“I am incredibly excited to get to work here in Olympia,” said Rep. Callan (D-Issaquah). “We need to make sure our children and education staff are provided with the resources they need to succeed. Early learning, family engagement, and timely support are the most effective ways to make a difference for our kids. These types of investments strengthen the middle class and help our neighbors avoid crisis by getting them the help they need when they need it.”
Rep. Bill Ramos brings experience in transportation, forest, and education policy to Olympia. He served with the US Forest Service in North Bend, Washington as Director of Timber Management, Director of Recreation and Public Services, and the Director of Ecosystem Management. Ramos also served with the U.S. Department of Transportation in the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as a Community Planner developing and managing the Tribal Transit Program as well as Rural and Small Urban, Area Transit Systems. Ramos has also served as a member of the Issaquah City Council since 2015. Previously, he served on Issaquah’s Economic Vitality Commission, the Planning and Policy Commission, and Chair of the Issaquah Human Service Commission.
“We have significant traffic problems in eastern and southern King County,” Said Rep. Ramos (D-Issaquah). “Our residents are spending too much time in their cars, resulting in less time with family and friends, less productivity at work, and more carbon in the atmosphere. I am pushing for quick completion of the Highway 18/Interstate 90 interchange, and more lanes for highway 18 and Highway 169. The current situation is unsustainable.”
The 105-day legislative session started on January 14, 2019.