2021 Ferndale City Council Endorsements
I am proud to accept the following endorsements:
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| "If you want a councilmember who will work diligently and not rest until she's certain city staff has developed a plan that's best for all Ferndale residents, vote to keep Maralise on council. As a working mother and community volunteer, she will be your voice on council." |
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| "I know how hard Maralise has already worked to improve the lives of every Ferndale resident and I know she will continue to work tirelessly as a councilmember to help solve Ferndale's problems. Maralise is the first, best, and only choice for this Council position." |
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| "In her short time on Council, Maralise has elevated the level of conversation. She is a bright, selfless thinker whose only motivation is to serve her community. Join me in supporting Maralise as she provides thoughtful leadership we can trust." |
2019 Ferndale City Council Endorsements
Wendy Lawrence, Captain USN, Ret.:I have known Maralise Fegan for over four years, first meeting her during the formation of the Ferndale Emergency Resource Network (FERN). I was so impressed with her decision-making skills and ability to work well with others that I asked her to join me on the community-led school Bond Task Force in October 2017.
As a member of the Bond Task Force, Maralise’s goal was to put together a comprehensive bond proposal that would best represent and balance the needs of the school district and its residents. She wasn’t afraid to ask tough questions and persist in asking those questions until we had the information we needed to make well-informed and fact-based decisions as we put together the bond proposal.
Coming from the world of military aviation and human spaceflight, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many top-notch engineers. I can tell you that Maralise would more than hold her own against those engineers. Throughout the task force meetings, she proved herself to be very adept at analyzing the various options in front of the task force, identifying the information we still needed to gather in order to make sound decisions. Meeting after meeting, she was the one who asked the critical questions, questions that the rest of us didn’t even think of.
If you want a city councilmember who will work diligently with city staff and not rest until she feels staff has developed a plan that’s best for the majority of Ferndale residents, then vote for Maralise. As a working mother and community volunteer, she is someone who can (and will) represent and work for all of Ferndale.
Wendy Lawrence
Lacey
Joe Lupo, Ferndale Community Member and Support Ferndale Schools Committee Co-Chair:
I stand with Maralise Fegan for City Council Position 7
I am confident Maralise is the best candidate for Ferndale City council. Her dedication and constant personal strive for excellence and truth in whatever task she takes on is a major factor for my decision. Maralise has the energy, knowledge, and leadership skills to be an extremely effective council person for our community. I have recently had the opportunity to sit down with Maralise and hear some of her vision of why she chose to dedicate her time to this very worthy cause and it was no surprise that she did not hesitate to go on to tell me areas she sees that can be improved, and what she sees for the future of our wonderful town of Ferndale. The community is undergoing some considerable growing pains and I am confident Maralise can be part of a solution that takes into consideration the needs of the community as well as the municipal requirements that go along with any plan put forth. Maralise’s background within the law community gives her a perspective that fits very well with the role she has chosen to pursue. Her role in the Ferndale Emergency Resource Network (FERN) and her dedication of personal time to ensuring that FERN has the support they need to create a safe and positive community support mechanism for not only the Ferndale Auxiliary Communication Service (ACS) but Whatcom County Emergency Response Team (CERT) shows her complete and unwavering dedication to the community. I hope that at the ballot box my fellow Ferndalians can come together and chose the best candidate for the position, and I believe this person is Maralise Fegan.
Joe Lupo
Ferndale
Cathy Watson, Former Ferndale City Councilmember:
I believe Maralise Fegan is the best candidate for Ferndale City Council Position 7. I have known Maralise for more than four years, so I know she will always make fact-based decisions and those decisions will be driven by her desire to do what’s best for the majority of current and future Ferndale residents.
Maralise and I met at the first meeting of what would become the Ferndale Emergency Resource Network. After she earned her amateur radio license, we worked together in the Ferndale Auxiliary Communications Service, supporting police department communications and assisting during Ferndale School District emergency drills. To expand her skills, Maralise also completed training to become a member of the Ferndale Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Maralise makes her living as a paralegal and office manager of a local attorney’s office, and is by nature a critical thinker and problem solver. She also has a unique ability to see both the short and long-term effects of any decision. I have seen firsthand how Maralise uses her skills to help her entire community by working with others to train and plan for emergencies and natural disasters, and striving to improve school district facilities as an active member of the Bond Task Force.
As a wife and working mom of two children, Maralise knows how hard it is to make ends meet and understands there are limits on how much Ferndale residents can pay for essential services, especially water and sewer. Maralise also understands there are limits on how much more and how much faster Ferndale can grow. While not opposed to all growth, Maralise believes City Council should put more effort into creating opportunities to bring living-wage jobs to Ferndale rather than focusing so much time and taxpayer money on new residential construction, most of which ends up being unaffordable for Ferndale residents.
Ferndale faces many complex problems in the next four years, including the effects of deferred road maintenance, water quantity and quality issues, determining how to fairly allocate the costs of the expanded waste water treatment plant, etc. Which is why it’s important to have a Council that represents the interests of the majority of Ferndale residents. A Council that will focus its efforts on providing better roads and sidewalks, improving the quality and quantity of the City’s water, and ensuring the costs and burdens of growth are fairly shared by those who create the growth and the residents who must live with its effects.
If you want a candidate who will listen to you and fight to do what’s right for all residents, Maralise Fegan should get your vote.
Cathy Watson
Lacey, WA
Maralise and I met at the first meeting of what would become the Ferndale Emergency Resource Network. After she earned her amateur radio license, we worked together in the Ferndale Auxiliary Communications Service, supporting police department communications and assisting during Ferndale School District emergency drills. To expand her skills, Maralise also completed training to become a member of the Ferndale Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Maralise makes her living as a paralegal and office manager of a local attorney’s office, and is by nature a critical thinker and problem solver. She also has a unique ability to see both the short and long-term effects of any decision. I have seen firsthand how Maralise uses her skills to help her entire community by working with others to train and plan for emergencies and natural disasters, and striving to improve school district facilities as an active member of the Bond Task Force.
As a wife and working mom of two children, Maralise knows how hard it is to make ends meet and understands there are limits on how much Ferndale residents can pay for essential services, especially water and sewer. Maralise also understands there are limits on how much more and how much faster Ferndale can grow. While not opposed to all growth, Maralise believes City Council should put more effort into creating opportunities to bring living-wage jobs to Ferndale rather than focusing so much time and taxpayer money on new residential construction, most of which ends up being unaffordable for Ferndale residents.
Ferndale faces many complex problems in the next four years, including the effects of deferred road maintenance, water quantity and quality issues, determining how to fairly allocate the costs of the expanded waste water treatment plant, etc. Which is why it’s important to have a Council that represents the interests of the majority of Ferndale residents. A Council that will focus its efforts on providing better roads and sidewalks, improving the quality and quantity of the City’s water, and ensuring the costs and burdens of growth are fairly shared by those who create the growth and the residents who must live with its effects.
If you want a candidate who will listen to you and fight to do what’s right for all residents, Maralise Fegan should get your vote.
Cathy Watson
Lacey, WA
Terry Terry, Chair of Citizens Transportation Advisory Group (CTAG) Whatcom Council of Governments (WCOG); Voting Member of the WCOG Policy Board; Member of 5 county North Sound Transportation Alliance:
I am writing to endorse Maralise Fegan for the Ferndale City Council Position #7.
I am writing to endorse Maralise Fegan for the Ferndale City Council Position #7.
I met Maralise in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Ferndale School Bond Task Force. I found her to be an excellent addition to the effort. Her legal expertise guided us in establishing our necessary foundation for the bond campaign. What was especially important was her thoughtful and measured approach in creating a plan for the bond if it passed. She focused on the outcome of the bond passing and the greater community affected by the bond outside of the Ferndale City itself. Lummi Island, Custer, the Double R Ranch in the Birch Bay Urban Growth Area, Lummi Nation and the community near the airport are all part of the Ferndale School District.
At times the bond campaign conversations were intense but Maralise’s calm demeanor provided a platform for everyone to be heard in a respectful manner.
The City of Ferndale had been determined to be the fastest growing city in Whatcom County and that determination was stated before the bond was passed. The community is accelerating beyond expectations and the city council needs to carefully guide the community through the upcoming transitions.
Maralise will listen to the community and help guide the city through the hurdles ahead.
Please vote for Maralise Fegan for Ferndale City Council Position#7.
Terry Terry
Lummi Island
Sharon Shewmake, State Representative for the 42nd Legislative District:
Riveters Collective:
We enthusiastically endorse Maralise Fegan for Ferndale City Council Position 7. We perceived Maralise to be a thoughtful advocate for what community improvement should look like in Ferndale. We appreciated that she brought forward specific plans for moving Ferndale toward improved transportation and housing. Her experience as an active member with the Community Emergency Response Team show her ability to plan and respond to the big picture and long-range plans on behalf of the community.
See more Riveters Collective endorsements here.
Cathy Watson, Former Ferndale City Councilmember:
Maralise spends her days running a law office and her nights working beside her husband to raise their two children. Maralise is by nature a critical thinker and a problem solver. On the [School] District’s Bond Task Force, she always asked the hard questions and never stopped asking until she received fact-based answers. As a working mom, Maralise also knows how hard it is to make ends meet and that there are limits on how much our residents can pay for essential services. I believe Maralise Fegan is the best candidate because I know she will always make decisions based on actual data, and that those decisions will also be driven by her desire to do what’s best for all Ferndale residents.
Maralise spends her days running a law office and her nights working beside her husband to raise their two children. Maralise is by nature a critical thinker and a problem solver. On the [School] District’s Bond Task Force, she always asked the hard questions and never stopped asking until she received fact-based answers. As a working mom, Maralise also knows how hard it is to make ends meet and that there are limits on how much our residents can pay for essential services. I believe Maralise Fegan is the best candidate because I know she will always make decisions based on actual data, and that those decisions will also be driven by her desire to do what’s best for all Ferndale residents.
Joe Lupo, Support Ferndale Schools Committee Co-Chair:
I personally endorse Maralise Fegan for City Council Position 7
I believe Maralise is the best candidate for Ferndale City council. I had the pleasure of working closely with Maralise for 18 months through the Bond Task Force then on the Bond Campaign. During the early weeks and months, I took notice of her very thorough thought process when analyzing the issues. Her direct but caring line of questioning was focused on learning the facts regardless of outcome on school district related issues. It was then I felt very confident she was genuinely wanting to know all the facts before making a final determination and I knew she was an asset. As we worked on the campaign portion of what was the 2018 and then the 2019 School Bond for Ferndale School District it was abundantly clear to me she was very interested in the big picture as well as the details that made that campaign run smooth. Maralise went out of her way to ensure wording was correct every time, and various work products she collaborated on flowed and intertwined with the group’s overall purpose and message.
I later learned that Maralise played a vital role in the Ferndale Emergency Resource Network (FERN) and she and her spouse dedicate a lot of personal time to ensuring that FERN has the support they need to create a safe and positive community support mechanism for not only the Ferndale Auxiliary Communication Service (ACS) but Whatcom County Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Maralise is thoughtful and thorough in her work product and her ability to collaborate with others. Ferndale needs people who can see today but also has a vision for the future. I firmly believe Maralise Fegan is that person.
I cannot vote in Ferndale elections, as I live outside city limits, so for myself when a quality candidate comes along that is as dedicated to her family and making the city a better place as she is, has the desire to put the effort into the town I grew up in and call home, and is willing to put in the time I can’t help but make my support known to those who don’t personally know Maralise Fegan and maybe don’t know who they are voting for. Please consider voting for Maralise Fegan for Ferndale City Council Position 7. When elected I firmly believe she will not let the City of Ferndale and you down!
Gayland Gump, Ferndale Community Volunteer:
Joe Lupo’s letter of support for Maralise Fegan for Ferndale City Council Position 7 deserves a second, which I wish to provide. I’ve been a resident of Ferndale for more than a decade now and have been pretty active in the community as a volunteer for much of that time. I first met Maralise and Brandon as fellow Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers which led them to get their Amateur Radio Licenses so they could join the Ferndale Police Department’s Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS).
The Ferndale Emergency Resource Network (FERN) was an outgrowth of meetings between Ferndale CERT & ACS volunteers, Cathy Watson, past city council person, and others. Maralise was a big contributor in those meetings. Joe has given a wonderful summary of Maralise’s skill set. She is an extraordinarily clear thinker and communicator. Inquisitive, thoughtful, and committed, Maralise would make an exceptional city council person.
Maralise’s commitment to the community is evident in her volunteerism. I’ve no doubt that her contributions to the Ferndale School District’s Bond effort were significant as noted by Joe Lupo. I’ve seen Maralise in action and have been impressed on multiple occasions.
Maralise is energetic, intelligent, inquisitive, and ethical. Fair minded, she really listens when you talk to her. She won’t put hidden agendas before the well being of the community. She will be an outstanding city council person. Vote for Maralise Fegan for Ferndale City Council Position 7.
Amy Nylen, Teacher:
I write to offer endorsements of Maralise Fegan and Anya Milton for Ferndale City Council. I’ve worked with both Maralise and Anya through the Bond Task Force and the Support Ferndale Schools campaign committee for the Ferndale School District bond. Maralise and Anya are running for office for the right reasons, out of thoughtful concern for the future of Ferndale. They already devote much time and energy to improving life in Ferndale, and the next step of serving on city council will maximize their considerable skills and contributions.
Maralise Fegan has a talent for listening to multiple viewpoints and quickly finding common ground. She uses data to make smart decisions, and is willing to ask challenging questions in order to find out more. She presents complex information in multiple ways, to provide the needed background information for all citizens to understand. The bond simply wouldn’t have passed without Maralise’s commitment to developing a reasonable bond package and to the subsequent campaigns. Maralise works diligently to keep our community safer, through the Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS), Whatcom Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Ferndale Emergency Resource Network (FERN), and Ferndale Youth Emergency Services club (YES). She will work to find solutions to our current challenges, using her thoughtful and team-building approach.
Anya Milton will advocate for all of Ferndale’s citizens. She has an extensive track record–through Access Freedom, Northwest Youth Services, and the Boys and Girls Club–of lifting marginalized voices. Her work for the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce demonstrates her commitment to growing business in Ferndale, and developing the community support and infrastructure required for a thriving local economy. Anya helps her teams develop visions and goals, then make actionable plans for implementation. Her leadership very much empowers the people around her; Anya makes space for every member of a group to contribute. Anya’s service as co-chair of the Ferndale School District Bond Oversight Committee symbolizes her high expectations for accountability, both for herself and the organizations she serves.
Like Joe Lupo, I live just outside the city limits, but for 20 years now, my heart has been squarely in the city of Ferndale. Maralise and Anya represent the very best of Ferndale, emphasizing the unity in our community. Please vote for Maralise Fegan and Anya Milton for Ferndale City Council.