Meet The Olympian’s 2020 Board of Contributors

While the news business is evolving fast these days, some things stay the same, including The Olympian’s commitment to giving local residents an chance to share their thoughts on our editorial page.

Today we want to introduce you to our 2020 Board of Contributors, even though it’s been 2020 for more than a little while. You’ll find a column from board member Mary Gentry elsewhere on this page, and you can look for other columns from the new crew on Fridays going forward.

So meet the board, which contains seven new members and two that we are carrying over from 2019.

Whitney Bowerman grew up in Seattle, and moved to Olympia in the late 1990s to attend The Evergreen State College. There, she received a bachelor’s degree in biology, and a master’s in environmental studies. She worked as a Geographic Systems Analyst before deciding to stay home with her two young children. Now, she works part-time as a non-profit fundraiser, and manages residential rental properties she owns with her husband. She serves on the advisory council for the Interfaith Works Homeless Services Program.

Larry Dzieza has been an Olympia resident since 1990 and recently retired from a public service career. He is committed to improving the civic health of the community. As a contributor he seeks to explore how local issues are interconnected to regional, statewide and national level policies.

Mary Gentry grew up in the Spokane Valley and moved to Olympia in 1966 when her husband, Fred, was hired as a deputy prosecuting attorney. Her career included time as a teacher and a lawyer. She’s served on many non-profit boards, and published two collections of humorous personal essays.

Karen A. Johnson (known to many as Dr. J) is the first Equity & Inclusion Administrator for the state Department of Corrections. She holds a doctorate in Urban Services, and conducts leadership and self-care workshops across the nation. She has served on the boards of the Making a Difference Foundation, South Sound YMCA, Olympia Capital-Centennial Rotary Club, Thurston Community Media, Junior League of Olympia, and the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs.

Priscilla Terry, who served on The Olympian’s editorial board in 2018, was one of the founders of Prime Locations, Inc., a commercial and investment real estate company, and a founding director of South Sound Bank. She holds an advanced degree in Landscape Architecture, and is active with the Capitol Land Trust. She served on the Community Board of St. Peter Hospital for almost 20 years. While she is now retired, she is volunteering time on Thurston County committees dedicated to opioids and other issues.

Frank Turner is a retired pulmonary physician. He was active in health care reform until the Affordable Care Act passed. Turner has worked on climate change issues since 2010. He intends to write about climate issues, and about two local issues: the Public Power option for our Public Utility District, and the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan. He has lived in Olympia since 2014, having moved from Eugene, Oregon. And he has a solar-powered boat.

George Walter has served as the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s environmental program manager for more than 40 years, working on a wide variety of Nisqually watershed issues. A Thurston County resident for many years, he was a member of The Olympian’s Board of Contributors from 2015 to 2017 as well.

Gary Andrews is a holdover from the 2019 board, and he will be partnering with Priscilla Terry on some columns. Andrews has lived in Olympia for 40 years. He retired as a senior counsel in the torts division of the state Attorney General’s Office, and was a private practice attorney for 16 years. He is a past president of the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce and past chairman of the Thurston County Economic Development Council. He is a former professional baseball player.

Cleve Pinnix, the other 2019 board member staying on, first came to the Northwest in 1966 to serve as an park ranger at Mount Rainier. He went on to staff the National Parks subcommittee for the U.S. House of Representatives. He and his family returned to Washington state in 1981 to serve on the management team of the Department of Natural Resources. He later served as director of the State Parks Commission for 11 years before retiring in 2002. He and his wife, Marty, live at Panorama.

We also would like to extend a huge thank you to the 2019 Board of Contributors: Gracie Anderson, Stephen Bramwell, David Whitfield, Susan Ritter, Glen Anderson, and Gene Angel. We hope their work has moved you, inspired you, and given you fodder for thought.