Vancouver City Council position 1 open, Lebowsky not returning; Blom and Harless start

Lebowsky supports Blom; Harless says the run is unexpected but exciting

VANCOUVER – Laurie Lebowsky of Position 1 on the Vancouver City Council announced this week that she will not seek re-election.

Laurie Lebowsky

“My heart is grateful to the people of Vancouver for the opportunity to serve them for four years,” Lebowsky said in a press release. “As I look forward to spending more time in my professional career, I will continue to be an interested citizen looking forward to a bright future for our city.”

John Blom, who previously served as Clark County Councilor from District 3, has announced that he will run for the position of Vancouver City Council. Kim Harless, the recently elected co-chair of the Clark County Charter Review Commission, has also announced that she will be running for the seat.

John BlomJohn Blom

After Lebowsky found out about Blom’s run, he supported him for the position.

“John and I worked together on homelessness when he was on Clark County Council. That gives me an insight into his working style and his knowledge, ”said Lebowsky. “He has a great depth of knowledge and experience related to homelessness and affordable housing. That compassion and passion for helping others will make John a fantastic councilor.”

Blom was elected in 2016 to represent District 3 on Clark County Council. During his tenure, he dealt with housing policies and fees, as well as regulatory barriers for people wanting to build additional housing units on their property. He served as a district representative on several committees including C-TRAN, the Regional Agency for Aging and Disability in Southwest Washington, the Legislative Steering Committee of the Washington State Association of Counties, and the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization.

“I am ready to work for our residents on the first day using my diverse experiences, my deep knowledge of this community and my practical understanding of how the city’s work is done,” Bom said in a press release. “Vancouver is my home and I love this community. We need collaborative, committed leadership to move our city forward. The city must work effectively with our county council, local officials and leadership in Olympia, and our elected officials in Washington, DC. ”

Kim HarlessKim Harless

Harless currently represents Councilor District 1 on the Charter Review Commission. She also served as the coordinator of the Clark County Advisory Committee on Solid Waste, co-chair of the Department of Health’s Justice, Diversity and Inclusion Group, and served as an environmental health professional in Clark County for eight years, recycling system planning and contract monitoring.

“Vancouver has untapped potential. We need to focus the city’s priorities on improving our government for the good of the people, not special interests. I grew up here and went to college here; I work here and raise my family here. I want this community to be fair, affordable and healthy for everyone, ”Harless said in a Facebook post. “As your council member, I will work to move Vancouver forward and create leadership that takes into account our diversity and unique culture and empowers the voices of our friends and neighbors.”

In the education sector, Blom is from the northwestern United States and has a degree in history and a minor in economics from Concordia University. He worked as a civilian at the US Army’s Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth after earning a Masters degree in history. John and his wife returned to the Pacific Northwest in 2009.

He received the 2014 Accomplished and Under 40 award from the Vancouver Business Journal and the 2015 George C. Marshall Public Leadership Award from Fort Vancouver.

For more information about Blom, please visit his website at www.JohnBlom.com.

Harless earned her BS in Environmental Science from Washington State University Vancouver with additional degrees in Political Science and Agroecology. She completed an internship with experience in laboratory experiments in nature conservation ecology.

She is a graduate of Clark College and continues to be passionate about leadership in food justice and community service on this campus. She has received certifications in community-based social marketing for sustainable behavior change, hazardous waste disposal, and leadership.

For more information about Harless, please visit their website at www.voteKimHarless.com.

Information from Laurie Lebowsky, John Blom and Kim Harless.