Olympia City Council appoints Clark Gilman to vacant position

The Olympia City Council appointed Clark Gilman to fill council position 4, which was vacated by newly elected Mayor Cheryl Selby.

Gilman was one of eight applicants interviewed Monday night at City Hall in hopes of filling the remaining two years of Selby’s council term. Gilman was to be sworn in during Tuesday’s regular council meeting.

The other applicants were Max Brown, Chase Gallagher, Karen Johnson, Allen Miller, Marco Rosaire Rossi, Paul Masiello and Peter Tassoni.

At Monday’s panel-style interviews, each applicant answered six questions about community issues such as homelessness, parks and the budget.

Following a vote by the council, the four leading vote-getters — Gilman, Johnson, Brown and Gallagher — returned for a final round of four questions. The council then voted 5-1 to appoint Gilman. Brown received the other vote.

Gilman told The Olympian that his participation in advisory committees and civic affairs has prepared him to serve.

“There were several strong people,” he said of the other applicants. “I’m very honored.”

Gilman, 52, has a bachelor’s degree from The Evergreen State College and works as an associate at SparrowHawk Consulting, which serves nonprofits and tribal governments. He also is a special education assistant at North Thurston High School.

Gilman is the current chairman of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, known as BPAC. He was a member of the off-leash dog park subcommittee for Olympia Parks and Recreation, a co-founder of the Residential Carpenters Union and has held several leadership roles with the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters.

Councilwoman Jeannine Roe said she cast the lone vote for Brown because of his work on the Olympia Planning Commission. However, she said Gilman will be an asset to the council.

“He’ll fit in quite easily with this group,” she said, praising Gilman’s preparedness and his work with the BPAC. “It was a natural fit.”

During the interview, applicants were asked which of the other applicants they would choose for the job. Brown, the eventual runner-up, had picked Gilman.

“He seemed like he had a better ‘big picture’ view, and he’s a good collaborator,” Brown said after the selection. “I think he was the best candidate out there because of his experience.”

Three of the candidates said they would have voted for Johnson.

Johnson told The Olympian she was thankful for the opportunity to apply. She plans to continue volunteering in the community with groups including the Black Alliance of Thurston County, which she co-founded.

“I decided a while back to be a public servant, and I’m going to continue this whole journey of serving the public,” she said. “It’s time to do good in the community with as many people as possible, making sure that all voices are heard.”

Council members receive an annual stipend of $16,640.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 9:54 PM with the headline "Olympia City Council appoints Clark Gilman to vacant position."