Bryan Yambe - 25dems.org

25th Legislative District Democrats
Candidate Endorsement Request (City)
Today’s Date: 5/28/2015
Office Sought: Fife City Council, Position #1
Campaign Information
Name of Campaign: Friends of Bryan Yambe
Campaign Manager: Self
Campaign Address: 2337 58th Avenue South, Apt. 8, Fife, WA 98424 Campaign Phone: (206) 383-7499
Email: [email protected]
Fax: N/A
Website: www.bryanyambe.com (not operational yet)
Party Affiliation: Non Partisan
Are you using union printers and/or sign shops to do your campaign printing? Yes, I will be.
Personal Information:
Full Name (as shown on ballot): Bryan Yambe
Address: 2337 58th Avenue South, Apt. 8, Fife, WA 98424
Years at this address: 3
Legislative District: 25
Precinct: 228
Years in the city that you want to represent: 3
Education (Please indicate highest level attained)
Degree (specify): Some College
School: Highline Community College
Previous Public Service
Office/Position Held: Fife City Council, Position #1
Dates: 11/2013 - Present
Nature of Organization: Local Government
Duties: Legislative Representative
Office/Position Held: Precinct Committee Officer
Dates: 8/2012 - Present
Nature of Organization: 25th Legislative District Democrats
Duties: Serving as the representative and voice of the Democratic Party in my neighborhood.
Current Job Information
Employer: Groves Law Offices
Title: Legal Assistant
Supervisor: Laura Groves
E-mail Address: N/A
Work Phone: N/A
Major Civic Interests
Community Service & Volunteerism, Urban Planning, Youth Mentorship, Youth Issues, Community Organizing, Social
Justice, Civil Rights, & Public Transit
Questionnaire
Please keep your answers brief.
If you need more room, attach a separate page at the end and mark “see attached” on the questionnaire.
Please list your qualifications for seeking office:
I am a trained community organizer who brings to the table 20 years of extensive volunteer experience in the 25th
and 30th Legislative Districts. This year marks my 2nd as a member of the Fife City Council and my 3rd as an elected
Precinct Officer. I also serve as your current 25th Legislative District Sergeant-at-Arms.
I have had experience serving on the board of several organizations including: Education Advisory Board for the
Association of Washington Cities; Fife, Milton, Edgewood Community Investment Team; Rainier Communications
Board; Pierce County Young Democrats; 25th Legislative District Democrats, a state student leadership board, and
staff-parish relations board at my church.
I also active in a number of social and political organizations in the greater Puget Sound region and within the Asian
American community here in Washington State.
Please list your reasons for seeking office:
I am seeking a second term because I want to continue being a part of the changes, transitions and important
developments that have been made during the first two years I have held office.
In my first two years I've done my part to consolidate and strengthen relationships with other elected officials and
stakeholders the immediate vicinity of Fife and regionally here in Puget Sound.
I also spearheaded efforts to establish the city's first Youth Commission to grow and empower our youth - the future
leaders of tomorrow. As a former participant of a youth commission in the area myself, the perspective I bring
to this effort is rather unique - of sitting in both sides, and I would like to continue to offer what I can and be of further
assistance as the group develops and gains valuable experience from their initial meeting at the end of the last year.
I want to take further advantage of the opportunity I have to go and address young students and future party leaders
in the classroom about the opportunity I have had to share our Progressive Democratic ideals and values while
planting the idea they can do just the same. Everyone deserves to have their voices heard.
I also highly value being able as an elected official to lobby in Olympia for the city and speak on significant issues and
concerns that touch on our daily lives in the greater society beyond the city lines of Fife, as a bill to expand the
Washington Voting Rights Act before a Senate Committee at the request of the (as appropriate) and local ACLU.
Have you been involved in partisan politics in Washington State? Please give details:
I am a proud Progressive Democrat who has active in and around Democratic Party politics since the age of 7. While
my position on the City Council is non-partisan, among my outside activities include: serving as my neighborhood’s
Precinct Committee (25-228); 25 LD Democrat’s Executive Board; Asian Pacific Islander American’s for Civic
Empowerment (APACE) C4 board; and a member of the WA State Democrats Asian Pacific American Caucus Executive
Board.
Have you run for an office before? Please give details:
Yes, I ran for my current seat in 2013 and stood election for my PCO position in 2012 and 2014.
Have you held office, either elected or appointed? Please give details: see above.
What do you believe will be the three most important issues in your campaign?
1) City Center Development- Developing and implementing the plans to construct a City Center in the city of Fife. To
not only establish a center for the city but to help establish a retail center to anchor the city’s identity and future.
2) Improving and Strengthening Neighborhoods- Fife has several distinct areas where people live. Each having their
own issues, priorities and challenges. The city has been making strides to make government more accessible but it’s
only gotten so far. We need to keep those efforts alive. Whether it be through community policing and town hall
meetings, we can also start city grant programs that the various neighborhoods can apply for to improve their
neighborhoods and address the unique situations each are going through.
3) Increasing Connectivity- In order to really succeed and thrive, we need to fight to ensure Highway 167-509 are
completed and we need to continue to develop a more safe, walkable community for everyone.
These are a few issues that the community is facing, but these may change after listening to the needs and priorities of
the community at the doors.
When elected, how would you make sure that you and your fellow elected officials continue to be accessible to
constituents and their concerns and open to public input?
Since arriving on the Council, I have been among the most active members in terms of availability, outreach,
attendance and active participation at city related and community events and happenings. Whether it has been riding
along in the annual holiday giveaway convoy organized by the Fire Department handing out free holiday gifts to
deserving local boys and girls while wearing a funny red hat; hiding plastic eggs for the Lions Club Egg Hunt; Reserve
Office Training graduation ceremonies; National Police Night Out; creating handmade ceramic favors with the local
Arts Commission to give away at Fife Parks and Recreation Arbor Day events; a Chamber of Commerce luncheon;
Polar Bear Plunge, or graduation ceremonies for the Native American Program graduates at Fife High School, I have
been there. I have personally called at the doors of local business and residents alike. I have spearheaded efforts to
being City Council meetings and other government related events to the neighborhoods and continually crusaded
efforts to improve the city's presence further on social media. As a reflection of my interest city communications, I
sought and was appointed Council liaison at Rainier Communications. I welcome the opportunity to speak to any of
my constituents to chat and flag me with their concerns both in-person or through my contact information available at
the City of Fife Website, and have enjoyed to follow-up and follow-through several personal citizen requests.
Why should the 25th Legislative District Democrats support you over any other candidates running for this position?
I believe that any city council should reflect the diversity of its community*. As a single, Japanese American, millennial,
relatively recent resident and apartment dwellers, I represent a unique set of demographics which are not currently
represented by any other current member and council candidate. I have made it a priority to encourage, recruit and
support women, minorities and under-represented populations on city boards and commission. In the short time I
have held office I have personally reached out to persons and populations in the African-American, Latino and Native
American community and several have seriously considered or been appointed to available positions.
* According to 2010 Census = 55% are under the age of 34, 47% minority in population, and 58% renter
What would you do to encourage economic development in your city?
Moving forward on developing and implementing the plans to build a city center will be the key to encouraging
economic development in Fife. Not only would it be a civic center and gathering point, but would help serve as an
anchor to retail shops and restaurants.
Since being on the council, I have made it a priority to immerse myself in learning about economic development. From
lectures at the University of Washington - Tacoma to workshops and trainings sponsored by the Association of
Washington Cities I am very much enjoying learning and gaining enrichment for urban planning. In the next term, I
will continue to study whatever and whenever I can.
Another element with the possibility of having additional economic benefits which has not been explored is to
establish Fife as a regional arts and culture destination. I would like to plant seeds in favor of such a eventual project
by starting some kind of cultural heritage festival, which would also celebrate Fife's vibrant and diverse cultural
history.
What would you do to address the transportation/transit challenges facing your city?
Lobbying for the long overdue completion of SR's 167 and 509 is imperative but we also need to make sure we have
the infrastructure in place to get us through the construction phase.
Building and strengthening our relationships with entities like the: Port of Tacoma; cities such as Tacoma, Edgewood,
Milton and Puyallup; the Puyallup Tribe of Indians; with the assistance of Tacoma-Pierce County and Fife, Milton,
Edgewood's Chamber of Commerce, I believe that we can leverage our long-standing mutual ties and connections to
build the kind of future partnerships that are required to increase local connectivity, repair our battered
infrastructure, re-build bridges and open closed roads to bring our neighborhoods together and improve the lives and
commutes of pedestrians, residents and visitors alike.
Are there any additional comments you would like to share with the 25th Legislative District Democrats?
I am a life-long learner, who enjoys engaging with people, and improving the quality of all of our lives. I am passionate
about building stronger, more inclusive communities. It is my firm belief that each of us has a stake in each other and
when one of us succeeds, we all benefit.
It is the intent of the 25th District Democrats to support qualified Democrats seeking political office for both partisan
and nonpartisan races. To that end we are looking for individuals who adhere to Democratic principles as
demonstrated by Democratic Party activity, community activities, their reputation among Democrats, and statements
they make supporting the Democratic Party and fellow Democrats. Endorsed candidates are discouraged from giving
support in any partisan race to non-Democratic candidates. If an individual is running against another Democratic
candidate(s), such endorsed candidate is encouraged to draw clear distinctions and differences with his/her
opponent in a friendly, informational, and non-confrontational fashion. My signature below signifies my agreement
with these principles and that I understand that the 25th District Democrats may withdraw its endorsement if I do not
adhere to them.
Candidate Signature: Bryan Yambe
Today’s Date: 5/28/2015
Please return your completed questionnaire to [email protected]