Economic Development Committee - Regular Meeting

I'd like to call the order of the Economic Development Committee meeting of 12/09/2025. For please, please spell the role. As Michelle? Present. Okay. Has anyone signed up to speak in person or online? No. I have signed up. K. Well, with that, I will declare the public comment to be closed.

So council member Diaz is online.

Thank you. Okay. Great. Alright. I would like to call on for our first briefing item, I'd like to call on Nicole Emery, our city clerk.

Good morning, chair Daniels, and I believe welcome to your last EDC meeting.

Nope. We got one more.

You got one more? Okay. Well, take it back then. Good morning, EDC members. My name is Nicole. I'm your city clerk. And, for today's Tacoma Arts Commission and Tacoma creates advisory board interviews, you'll be interviewing 12 applicants and reviewing written response from Sarah who's seeking reappointment to the Arts Commission. Please note since the packet went out, Heather and Beverly have withdrawn, and Ryan is unavailable to interview today. There are currently seven positions open on the Arts Commission and two on TCAB. You should have those in your packet as there's two different columns for you.

Mhmm.

For the interviews, each applicant will provide a two minute presentation, which will include answers to the following questions. What do you think is the most important or exciting exciting thing about the city's investment in arts and culture? And two, what skills or personal experience related to arts and culture would you bring in service to the city? After each presentation, you'll have an opportunity to ask additional questions. And once the interviews, have completed, you may make motions to the full city council to make appointments or reappointments to these two boards. And we have our staff liaisons, Rebecca and Lisa, available if you have any other questions, or if you have any questions for me.

Okay. Perfect. Let's get them started. Let's start.

Awesome. So first will be Lindsey, and we'll get them over.

Quick technical question. On the rostro, yellow means they're coming off? Yes. Yes.

Lindsay.

Hello.

Hi, Lindsay. Welcome to the economic development committee. I'm gonna pass you to chair Daniels, to begin your interview.

Okay. Great. Perfect. Hi, Lindsey. Hi. Thank you so much for your interest in wanting to serve the city of Tacoma. How this will work is you'll have two minutes to go over the questions that were sent to you. Mhmm. And we'll have another five minutes after that after you get done for us to ask any follow-up questions. Great. Okay. And the time will start whenever you do.

Okay. I think the most exciting thing about the city's investment in the arts and cultural sector is that it can bring belonging and connection to people. And although I think it's really amazing that Tacoma values their artists and creatives, I think it's really more about creating community. And I think the investments I've worked in art programs my whole career, and it gives our programs give space to serve underrepresented communities and give leadership opportunities to people that may not otherwise have it. And it ensures that everybody has access, which I think is really important and can have a huge impact on every aspect of culture and city.

Okay. The second question, my connection and involvement. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and then went to high school in Tacoma. And about 20, I moved and lived in Minneapolis and San Francisco and most recently Berlin, Germany, where I was for the last decade, and I was the head of the visual arts department. And, also, I managed the art collective, so I was involved in funding.

And we when we moved back here a couple of years ago, I joined the Pierce County Arts Commission because I wanted to get involved right away. And that was a great experience, and I learned so much. And then I just moved to Tacoma in August, and I'm excited to get involved. I really believe in art transforming lives. That's why I'm an art teacher. That's why all my extracurriculars are arts. And I just really believe in what it can do to shape environments and people and culture.

Perfect. Thank you. Okay. I am gonna pop it to my colleagues first to begin their questions, and then I will go last. So starting with Vice Chair online, do you have any questions?

Thank you. You. Okay. Council Member

Thank you, chair, and thank you so much, Lindsay, for your willingness to apply and serve this position. I really appreciate all your wealth of experience you wanna bring here. My question is, what is it like for you to work with a team? This is a very large body of work with.

Yeah. I I mean, I've worked in schools my whole life. And working on the Pierce County Arts Commission, I've really learned a lot about consensus building. When you work with you know, when you work in groups a lot, you sort of I I've I've gotten used to, like, systems for building consensus and listening to others and making sure that I am listening as much as I'm sharing or often listening more. Yeah. Does that did that answer your question?

Yes. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Okay. Council member Scott. I don't have any questions. Thank you, and thank you, Lindsey, for. Okay.

Alright, Lindsey. I don't have any follow-up, any additional questions. I think you have a pretty thorough application here, and I enjoyed reading through it. So how this will work is after we hang up today, we're gonna finish the rest of our there you are. Seeking now. We'll finish the rest of our interviews, and then someone will be in touch with you, later on this week. Great.

Thank you very much.

Have a great day. Thank you so much for calling. Bye bye.

Next up will be, Dominique.

Was it?

Deputy mayor, I was instructed that we are gonna do three minutes for candidate sorry, committee questions, not five.

That sounds good. Okay.

Hi. Is it Dominique?

Yes. Hi. I'm Dominique.

Good morning. Welcome to the economic development committee. I'm gonna pass you to chair Daniels to begin your interview.

Okay. Thank you. Hi, Dominique.

Hello. Thank you so much for your time today.

Thank you for wanting to serve the city of Tacoma. We've got your application here. And so how this will work is you'll have two minutes to go over the questions that were sent to you previously, and then we'll have about three minutes for our committee to ask any follow-up questions. Okay. And then the time will start whatever you do.

Alright. I'm ready to begin. What I find most important about the city's investment in the arts is the access to funding and visibility it provides to artists to give them the opportunity to develop their ideas, share their work, and reach audiences they might not otherwise reach, especially with the intentional emphasis on equity and diversity to better represent the voices and perspectives of the Tacoma community. I work as an occupational therapist, and a big part of my job is identifying and reducing barriers so people can access what matters to them. So for me, really, the important part of the city's investment is to remove those barriers and help artists keep doing the work that they want to and need to do.

My connection to Tacoma Arts community comes through a mix of my personal art practice, my work as an occupational therapist in Tacoma Public Schools, and my involvement with a small art collective called T Town Makers. Being a part of that collective has made me feel connected to other artists in town. It's given me confidence to try new things and the opportunity and courage to share my work. Most of the time I spend making art and projects like most visual artists is very solitary. So I've really enjoyed the moments where I've been part of a creative group.

I used to play music in a band, and I've always liked the shared problem solving and energy that comes from working with others on creative projects. I'd really love to experience more of that, which is why I'm applying. One reason. That's my selfish reason. In my occupational work, I use art almost every day to support kids' engagement and communication, which has made me think a lot about accessibility and different ways that people connect with creativity. I'd like to serve on the arts commission because I'd like to contribute to that broader creative community to support artists, be part of thoughtful decision making, and to help make art and creative opportunities accessible and meaningful in Tacoma.

Alright. Well, thank you so much for for digging into those a little bit. I'm gonna open it up to my colleagues online first to see if they've got any follow-up questions, and then we'll come to the room. Great. Vice chair? No questions for me? Okay. Council member Bushnell.

Thank you, chair, and thank you, Dominique, for your willingness to serve the city of Tacoma. Really appreciate it. My question is what is it like for you to work in a team and how you approach that as a very large body? I

heard you say, what is it like to work as a team? Is that

Yes. That's correct. Okay.

I absolutely love working as a team. That's the part that I really miss in the sort of solitary work that I do as in a visual art capacity. I love being able to bounce ideas back and forth. And even when you come to the table with an idea, I love the way that it forms when somebody else can pop in. I I tend to like to really field a lot of different ideas. And so it's when I I I I don't know. I I just feel like that's that energy really feeds me, when I work as a as a team member.

Great. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Okay. Council member Scott. Thank you, chair. I don't have any questions. I just wanted to say thank you, Dominique, for applying. Alright. Thank you. I think I've got a pretty thorough fill out your application amazing. So I don't think I have any follow-up questions. I just wanna thank you for wanting to serve the city and the work that you do every day with our young people.

Thanks so much.

I appreciate it. Okay. So we will be we're gonna finish interviews today, and someone will be in touch with you later on this week.

Alright. Sounds terrific. Thanks so much.

Have a great day.

You too. Bye bye.

And next will be Elena. Hi. Is it Elena?

This is. Hi.

Hi, Elena. Welcome to the economic development committee. I'm going to pass you to chair Daniels to begin your interview.

Thank you. Hi, Elena.

Hi. How are you?

I'm doing well. Thank you so much for your interest in serving the city of Tacoma. How this will work this morning is you will have two minutes to, dive into the questions that we sent, previously, and then we'll have three minutes for our, the rest of the com the commission, the rest of the committee to ask you questions. Sounds great. The time will start whenever you do.

Okay. Thank you. Well, hi, everyone. My name is Elena Chernock. Thank you for having me here today.

It's very exciting that you've all supported extending the Tacoma Creates program and that the city clearly values not just arts and culture programming, but also access to these programs. As someone with a background in arts education and youth development, I see the intentional focus of dollars being funneled towards youth programming, particularly for youth who have been historically underserved as essential to securing the future of a creative, thriving, and engaged Tacoma community. Additionally, the investment and capacity building will make this work and impact sustainable, and it makes me very excited about our city's future. A little about me. I have deep experience in the arts as an artist, a teaching artist for many years, an arts education program director, and for the last ten plus years as an evaluator supporting arts education organizations across Washington State, developing values aligned in community centered methods, and making sure community voice is helping to shape programming.

I moved to Tacoma three years ago with my partner, and we are patrons of the arts. We understand the importance of the role that art plays in a healthy community, the excitement that it generates for us, our peers, and our neighbors. We go to concerts and art walks, museums, performances, outdoor community events in the summer. I'm on the arts listserv, which has led me to community classes and exhibits, and we even have a community dark room, which is pretty amazing. Having access to the arts as a young person deeply impacted the person that I am today, and I'd be honored to leverage my personal and professional experience to support a thriving, accessible art scene that gives our entire community spaces that foster connection, reflection, and joy.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. Okay, I'm going to start with my colleagues online. Council Member Diaz or excuse me, Berkshire Diaz. No questions. Okay. Council Member Bushnell.

Thank you, Sharon, and thank you so much for your willingness to apply and bring your expertise to for the Tacoma on this commission. My question is is what is it like for you to work on a team, and how you approach team efforts?

I'm so sorry. Can you say that one more time, that question?

Yeah. My question is how do you approach working in a team, and, how do you that's basically it. Yeah.

I am a very collaborative person. I mean, I think of evaluation as a very collaborative process. And so, I think my approach to working in a team is to really try and have active listening, sure that giving space to everyone in the room to share and kind of making sure we're all values aligned, that we're working towards the same goals, and that, you know, we agree on next steps for moving forward and that everyone feels like they have an active role in the process.

Great. Thank you so much.

Of course. Council Member Sohr. Thank you, Sarah. I don't have any questions for you. Just wanted to say thank you for applying, Elena.

Thank you.

I actually don't think I have well, I guess if I were to ask a question, I am curious why, when you when you looked at what you wanted to apply for, and there's the Tacoma Arts Commission and Tacoma Creation, what's made you choose Tacoma Create to to apply for?

Yeah. I mean, I think they both really drew my attention. I think Tacoma creates with the program itself, I find to be extremely unique, the first in the state of this kind. And I think the concentration on making sure that youth have access, access in general, as well as, as I mentioned, the arts education being a focus and the communities that we're serving just feels very aligned with my experience and felt like a place where I could really contribute.

Thank you. I didn't wanna guess that for you. Thank you. So, how this will work is we, we will continue our interviews today, and then someone will be in touch with you later on this week.

Thank you so much. I appreciate the opportunity to share.

Thank you. Nicole, are you talking?

Hi. Good good morning. Is it is it Rolf?

Yes. It's Rolf Bautista.

Thank you. Welcome to the Economic Development Committee. I'm gonna pass you to chair Daniels to begin your interview.

Okay. Hi, Rolfe. Hello. Thank you so much for applying to serve the city of Tacoma. Okay, so how this will work today is you will have two minutes to go over the questions that were sent to you, and then we'll have three minutes to dive for our colleagues, my colleagues and I could dive more into any questions that we might have. And so the time will start whenever you do.

Good. Thanks for having me today. To answer your first question, so to me, the most important investment in arts by the city of Tacoma has been that Tacoma creates funding. I believe the funding is crucial to supporting arts in our city, and it's something every resident benefits from. It contributes to the rich culture of our city.

And I I think it's particularly important for, you know, those young artists and those working artists who, need that support to continue that work. I can think of two organizations that have really inspired me, one being Toolbox Labs and providing workshops for children and really having them explore, the arts. And then another is the hilltop artists who where they can provide, these programs for the students over there. And I really had a chance to, to visit, participate, and see that, that day or creativity has really soared because of that program. And so my connection to the arts in the city of Tacoma is that I am I work for Green Trike.

I'm in the communications and engagement department. So I help connect the community to different programs, parents to our museum, the Children's Museum of Tacoma. So professionally, that's how I participate in the arts. I also am a practicing artist. So I graduated with a bachelor's of fine arts from the University of Colorado, and I continue to practice my creative endeavors in my personal life. And it's something that I that gives me a lot of energy and that I look to continue here.

Perfect. Thank you. Okay. I'm gonna start with my colleagues online. Councilmember Diaz?

No questions for me. Okay. Council Member Bush now.

Thank you, Chair. Thank you so much for all three of willingness to apply for this position, lend your expertise to City of Tacoma. My question is, what is it like for you to work in a team?

I work with multiple teams and also multiple committees within my organization. I find collaboration key to getting priorities done and accomplishing accomplishing the work that we need to do. So I'm a team member that believes that collaboration is key, but then also I can step into a leadership role when we need priority and have deadlines to be met.

Great. Thank you so much.

Okay. Thanks, Raul. I'll come over to that. Thank you, chair. I just wanted to say thank you all for taking the time to apply. I really appreciate it. No questions. Alright, Raul. Thank you so much for your application. So how this will work is we will spend, a little bit more time doing interviews today, and then someone will reach out to you later on this week.

That sounds great. Thank you so much for your time. Really great to meet you.

Likewise. Have a great day. Take care.

And next up, we'll have Marley. She might be lost in the Internet. Okay. They're gonna she might end up popping in, but we can send the net oh.

There she is.

Hi, Marley.

Hello. Can you hear me?

We can hear you. Thank you. Chair Daniels is in the the box with the room. She'll start your interview.

Perfect. Hi, Marley. Thank you so much for wanting to serve the city of Tacoma. How does the work Okay. Hold on. Marley, talking for me just one more time. I wanna make sure that you're not breaking up.

Yeah. Can you hear me okay?

I can hear you, but I think you should probably turn your camera off so that it's not breaking up during your interview. I wanna see you, but I also it's more important what you say.

Okay. Can you hear me better now?

Yeah. That's much better.

Okay. So sorry. My connection's probably not the best from my car. No.

Okay. So how this will work is you'll have two minutes to go over the questions that we sent to you previously, and then we'll take three minutes for my colleagues and I to ask any additional questions we might have. And so the time will start whenever you do.

Okay. Perfect. I jotted down my notes. So so yeah. So what excites me most about the city's investment in the arts and culture is how it can directly strengthen community connection and expand access to creativity for people of all ages.

When Tacoma funds the arts, it isn't only supporting events or, you know, installations. It's really investing in belonging, representation, and a shared experience, which I think is so, so cool. I'm especially inspired by how these investments can really uplift children and young people. As a mom of three young kids, I have used, you know, Tacoma Creates or attended Tacoma Creates events and, you know, some really cool arts education events around the city. And I've seen firsthand how it can have a really incredible impact on young people for confidence, learning, and also emotional expression.

And I think the fact that the city invests in that, I think, is so powerful. And it can really help bridge that gap and reach underserved children who may not otherwise have opportunities to really explore the arts. And I think that not only nurtures future artists, but I think it also really strengthens our community by empowering those children to see them as creative and capable. As far as my connection to the arts and cultural community, it comes through my years of work with the Grand Cinema and also community volunteering. And I've seen firsthand how Tacoma Tacoma's art scene, is really built on collaboration and passion and a deep commitment to community impact.

And I wanna serve on this community to help ensure that our arts landscape continues to grow in inclusive and accessible ways for families and for individuals, and I'd love to be a part of that.

Alright. Thank you, Marlee. Vice chair, just raise your hand if you have a question. That way yeah. Just raise your hand, and I'll call on you if you have one. Okay? No worries. Thank you. Okay. Council member Bushnell.

Thank you, chair, and thank you so much, Marley, for your willingness to apply and lend your expertise to this commission. My question is, what is it like for you to work in a team?

To work in a team?

Yes.

Okay. Yeah. So I think, you know, in my work day at the theater has always been very collaborative. And as far as my work in the organization, it's very much a team effort, and I love hearing, you know, lots of different ideas. And I think, you know, so much of, you know, the arts and culture is really built around that collaborative aspect. And I think I love working on teams because I love hearing those different perspectives and being able to build something really beautiful out of those different experiences with multiple people on a team. So

Great. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Council member Sarac. Thanks, chair. I don't have any questions, but I just wanted to say thank you, Marley, for applying.

Yeah. Thank you, Jamika.

Okay. Marley, thank you so much for, applying. I think I've got all that I need from your application here. So how this will work is we will continue our interviews for the rest of the day here, and someone will reach out to you later on this week.

Perfect. Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you. You have a good day. You too. Bye bye.

And next up will be Sierra. Hi. Is it Sierra?

Yes. That is me.

Hi. Welcome to the economic development committee. I'm gonna pass you to chair Daniels to begin your interview.

Gotcha. Thank you.

Hi, Sierra. Hello. Thank you so much for wanting to serve the city of Tacoma. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Okay. So, how this will work is you'll have two minutes to go over questions, that were sent to you earlier, and then we'll take three minutes for my colleagues and I to ask any follow-up questions that we may have. And the time will start whenever you do.

Gotcha. Sorry. I was just making sure the other meeting was closed out. That sounds wonderful. Thank you.

Sorry. I can go ahead and begin whenever. Yeah.

You're good to go.

Awesome. Thank you. Okay. Well, I actually wanted to start with the second question. I my background, my professional and lived background, has been working in the environmental justice movement, or sector. So mostly, I served a career in, background in law. I'm a bard attorney in the state of New Mexico. I'm from Washington state, but, like I said, my work has been a lot around environmental justice. So the primary, sort of audiences that I work with are black indigenous communities of color, low income communities, and predominantly native Hawaiian Pacific Islander communities. My paternal family comes from American Samoa, and so, the arts and culture have been really important parts of that throughout my life.

Growing up in Tacoma, I culturally I saw often how art could be a could create access to problem solving and community connection in ways that without art would be a lot harder. So in my professional and, like I said, lived experience, I've been able to host a lot of really great events from small work groups up to giant sort of lobby days and summits, and it's been wonderful to engage and integrate art into those, whether that's through clay or painting or whatever it may be. Just finding culturally relevant art ways to create safety and and well-being for people to engage in legislative and sort of hard discussions. So I feel a strong connection in that way. I think the exciting parts of the city's investments have really been about creating access and welcoming spaces for people, especially our migrant folks who I think often when people are forced to move or relocate, their instruments, their art brushes, their, the things that they often are drawn to for creative expression, so often get left behind, and I think that that can be really hard.

But I think the city's investment in making people feel welcomed into the art space, hopefully, will create more of that opportunity for healing and connectivity across all of our communities, whether they are new or old to Tacoma. So yeah.

Perfect. Thank you so much. Looking for hands. Okay. Councilmember Bushnell.

Thank you, chair, and thank you so much, dear, for your willingness to apply under expertise to this commission. My question is, what is it like for you to collaborate and work in a team?

See the last part of that? Collaborate in.

Work in a team.

Work in a team. I like teamwork. I think everyone has a different lived experience and different intersectional identity, and so it can being in teamwork can often mean that there's just more creative solutions or ideas that can come up. I think there's obviously a a lot of challenges in working in teams and that people can have really different ideas and different, like, approaches process wise. And so trying to find something that works for everyone can be hard, but I think communication and a willingness and curiosity, honestly, can be really, like, strong bonding points. And so, yeah, I I like teamwork.

Yeah. Thank you so much. Yeah. Of course.

Council member Scott. Thank you, chair. Thank you, Sierra, for applying. I appreciate you being here today. I don't have any question. K. So I was looking at your application, and I'm looking at the the the shift not the shift because you still do the the work that you do. I was just curious what art forms you have been engaged with. It kinda talked about a little bit in your application, but I was curious, you know, which are your favorite or what you have been exploring.

Oh oh, okay. Currently exploring. You know, I've been, trying to attend more of the Tacoma photo club, like, gatherings recently. So I've been more interested in photography, specifically, pinhole cameras, as of late. But growing up and and throughout life, I have done a lot of, like, crochet and, like, yarn work, but I also benefited a ton from the to, like, Tacoma Public School, like, accessing, like, glassblowing and ceramics where ceramics has been a big one throughout life.

Like, it's something I've always revisited. So that I also really pulled towards, like, upcycling things. So, like, currently with Christmas and holidays coming up, I found myself, like, being pulled towards, like, thrifting fabrics and, you know, being able to sew them into to new products in that way. So, like, kind of the intersection of art and sustainability. So, yeah, I a lot of creative means. But right now, probably a ton of, like, photography and sewing.

Perfect. Thank you so much.

Of course. Thank you.

Okay. So how this will work is we're gonna finish our interviews today, and then we will let you know later on this week what the result was.

Awesome. Thank you so much.

Have a great day. Thank you for Bye bye.

Happy Tuesday. Have a good one.

And next up is Janessa. Hi. Is it Janessa? Yeah. Hi. Hey. Welcome to the economic development committee. I'm gonna pass you to chair, Daniels to begin, excuse me, to begin your interview.

Thank you. Hi, Janessa.

Hi. Thanks for having me today.

Thank you so much for wanting to serve the city of Tacoma. How this will work today is you'll have two minutes to go over the questions that were sent to you earlier, and then we'll have about three minutes for my colleagues and I to ask any follow-up questions that we may have.

Sounds good.

The time will start whenever you do.

Okay. I'm ready. So what's most exciting to me about the city's investment in arts and culture is that it's really an investment in belonging and stewardship of place. Arts and culture programs help make our shared values visible, and they provide space for expression, learning, and connection across difference. In a city like Tacoma with a growing population, this investment is particularly critical because it helps ensure that growth doesn't come at the cost of culture, local character, and the voices of people who live here.

When the city invests in the arts, it sends a clear message that artists and culture bearers are partners in shaping how Tacoma evolves, and creativity becomes part of our civic infrastructure and not an afterthought. My connection to Tacoma's arts community comes through regular participation, volunteer engagement, and, engaging with local artists. I attend and support programs and events such as Hilltop Artists Initiatives, Arts at the Armory, Way's Goose, and the Tacoma Film Festival. And over time, I've built meaningful relationships with artists in our community. Professionally, my work in public art and programs and events has shown me how policy and funding decisions shape, which artists are supported and recognized and who feels welcome showing up.

I wanna serve on the arts commission because this combination of lived engagement and professional experience positions me to contribute thoughtfully and responsibly. I'm particularly motivated to support artists who have historically been excluded from access and representation, and I bring a strong commitment to ensuring Tacoma's arts ecosystem remains accessible, responsive, and grounded in community.

Okay. Council member Bucknerell.

Thank you, Karen. Thank you so much, Vanessa, for your willingness to serve and lend your expertise to the commission. My question is, what is it like for you to work in a team?

I think working in a team is incredibly invigorating because especially, working on creative endeavors, bringing more voices and perspectives to situations can always, engender richness and more depth to, whatever project we're working on together, and it helps understand different perspectives and and create more accessibility.

Great. Thank you so much.

Okay. One question I have for you is, if chosen, what might you like to accomplish on this committee, or what might you like the committee to do while you're there?

I think I would really like to accomplish, participating in projects that become part of the fabric of our community, getting to, like, see the fruits of something I've contributed to as I spend time in my local neighborhood or attend events in, different convenings around the city would be really special to, just enrich my connection to this place I live and see the contribution that I'm making to our community through my service.

Alright. Thank you. Okay. So how this would work this will work is, we've got a couple more interviews to do today, and then someone will, get back to you, later on this week. Thank you again really for, coming and wanting to be a part of the city of Tacoma.

Thanks so much for this opportunity. I I hope to have a chance to contribute my knowledge and passion for for community arts.

Thanks so for your day.

Thank you.

Next up is Pam. Hi. Is it Pam?

Yes. Hi. Hi. Welcome to

the economic development committee. I'm gonna pass you to chair Daniel to begin your interview.

Thank you.

Hi, Pam.

Hi. Good morning.

Good morning. Councilmember Bushnell was showing me how to say your name, but we can go with Pam, and I will just stick with that and not embarrass myself. But

Yishuan, that's my first name. Yes.

Yes. But,

yeah, I go by Pan. So Pan is perfectly good.

Okay. Well, welcome, Pan. We are so excited to have you interview this morning. Thank you for wanting to serve the city of Tacoma. How this will work is you'll have two minutes to go over the questions that were sent to you earlier, and then we'll have three minutes to go over for my colleagues and I to ask any additional questions that we might have.

Sounds great. Thank you.

So the time will start whenever you do.

Will you ask me the question or should I just go, do my answers that I prepared?

Exactly. You can just go through both of them.

Okay. Sounds great.

And then okay. So the clock is up, so you can start whenever you're ready.

Alright. So I think the most, crucial and exciting aspect, is that this environment this investment really frames the arts as a vital engine for our city, not just something beautiful or decorative, but it's essential for community health, our economy, and social fabric because it recognized that Tacoma's unique grit city identity. It's something that we actively build together. And especially now, the arts serves as a critical unifying force. The arts creates common ground and foster the connections that make a strong resilient community.

So I am deeply embedded in Tacoma's arts community as both a UW Tacoma professor in art and a community based artist. My practice focuses on collaborative projects that center underrepresented communities from catering cater or no. From curating a neighborhood voice walks with Tacoma on the go to my current food justice project that focused on immigrant labor with the Asia Pacific Cultural Center. I want to serve on this commission to actively translate that on the ground experience into policy and funding priorities. My goal is to use my position and networks to help dismantle barriers and ensure our city's cultural investments fully reflect and empower our entire community, building equity through sustained relationships.

Thank you.

Alright. Thank you. Okay. I'm gonna start with council member Bushnell.

Thank you, chair, and thank you so much, Pam, for your willingness to lend your expertise to the import commission. My question is, what is it like for you to collaborate and work in a team?

Can you say that last what is what is what is it like for me to

Yeah. For you to collaborate work in a team?

Oh, in a team. That's a great question. Thank you so much. I love working with people. So, you know, I think, often, like, as an artist, you get to ask, you people ask you what's your medium.

It might sound a little weird, but I work with people. Not like I manipulate them as materials, but I think art for me is building relationship, is to create experience together. So there is a lot of trust building, and it's not a one, project. Usually, it takes a while. And then even when the project ends, the relationship still lasts, and then we will create things that maybe we didn't even planned in the on the first place.

So I think it's maybe more organic and also feels really authentic. So that's my that's why really draw me to you know, as an artist working with people, working in a team.

Great. Thank you so much. And I just wanna say I wanna say your name. So it's. Right? Yeah. Okay. Thank you so much.

Alright, Elizabeth.

Thank you.

Okay. And so how this will work is, we're gonna continue our interviews for the rest of the day and then well, not the rest of the but we're gonna continue our interviews and then someone will reach out to you later on this week. Thank you so much for wanting to serve.

Yes. Thank you so much. Take care.

Thank you.

Okay. Next up, we have Elizabeth.

She's like

Hi, Elizabeth. Welcome to the economic development committee. Hello. Hi. I'm gonna pass you to chair Daniels to begin your interview.

Okay. Thank you.

Hi, Elizabeth.

Hi. How are you?

Really good. Thank you so much for wanting to serve the city of Tacoma.

Thank you. Okay, how

this will work this morning is, you will have two minutes to go over the questions that were sent to you. And then we'll take about three minutes for my colleagues and I to ask any follow-up questions. Okay. Alright. Let's do it. So the time will start whenever you're ready.

Okay. K. I am ready.

Okay. To

your first question, what excites me most about the city's investment in arts and culture is how intentional it is about building community and about giving access for families who might otherwise feel left out. Growing up in El Salvador, I learned early on that community is essential. We survived because neighbors supported one another. When I moved to Los Angeles, that sense of community was lost because we were told not to talk to anyone because it's such a big city. Moving to Tacoma has reminded me how powerful a connected community can be.

Programs supported by the city and the Tacoma creates, like free transportation to art institutes for schools, free admissions to theaters and museums, and the accessible programming at places like the Grand Cinema or Pantages shows that Tacoma is committed to making the arts available to all children and family regardless of income. I think this investment is more than culture. It communicates that every person in Tacoma deserves creativity and shared experiences. I have personally experienced how Tacoma's programs and schools support its communities and in various ways. Tacoma with such a large amount of people find ways to bring communities together such as the way that LOEs food banks lets people choose their own groceries with dignity to the opportunities like jobs two fifty three which gives students an opportunity to look outside the box, to Tacoma Parks giving students free admission.

I've seen how these organizations reflect Tacoma's values. Arts and cultural are part of that same ecosystem of care. I believe ours can create community. I want to be part of this board to help find ways to help remove barriers for for someone that has never experienced a musical or a play. I know wholeheartedly that arts helps us clear our mind, share emotions with one another, and expands our horizons.

Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Not seeing any hands online. I will start with council member Bushnell.

Thank you, chair, and thank you so much, Elizabeth, for your willingness to apply and lend your expertise to this commission. My question is, what is it like for you to work in a team?

I think that, like, working as a team just really helps you, become a better person yourself because you have to be able to be open about all the different possibilities that different minds that come together have. So we're not just closed in on what I think things should be, more about listening and about communicating on what is important, not just with what's happening right now, but as a whole. And so working as a team brings different perspectives. And then so and sharing that passion with one another to bring something bigger to the table and not just what I think or what one person thinks.

Great. Thank you so much. Mhmm.

Okay. My question for you, Elizabeth, is you've got a couple of answers, and I was curious if you had, a number one. So I see we've got the audit advisory board. Thank you so much for even considering that. That is an amazing We need that also. But also on the artistic side, you have Tacoma Arts Commission and Tacoma Creates advisory Board, and I was curious if you were leaning more towards one or the other.

I was kinda thinking more of the Tacoma Creates, just because I do work for the school district, and I do know what it takes to, get all of these things together in order to make, you know, one field trip happen, for instance. And so Mhmm. That's where my passion is, but I also I'm an accountant, so I also would like to edit audit things. So, either or would be great.

Okay. Thank you so much. I I really I I thought I needed to go tell them about this. Well, how this is gonna work is we are going to have a couple more interviews today, and then someone will be getting back to you, by the end of the week.

Okay. Perfect. Thank you so much. I really appreciate just the time.

Thank you.

Thank you. Have a good

one. And

do I just leave the meeting?

Yep.

Okay. Alright. Thank you.

Next up is Benjamin. Hey. Is it Benjamin?

Yes. It is.

Hi. Welcome to the economic development committee. I'm going to pass you to chair Daniels to begin your interview.

Alrighty.

Hi, Benjamin.

How are doing?

Really good. Thank you so much for wanting to serve the city of Tacoma.

Thanks for having me here.

Okay. So how this is gonna work is you'll have two minutes to go over the questions that were sent to you earlier, and then we'll have three minutes for my colleagues and I to ask you any follow-up questions.

And so the

time will start whenever you do.

Alright. I believe that Tacoma's investment or the city investment into art is very important, not only because it allows us to highlight who's here and all the diverse people that are here, but it allow us to kinda give a name for Tacoma ourselves. So by the city allowing entrepreneurs and artists to kinda lead the way and invest into them, only, you know, promotes what we have in Tacoma. And I think that's really important. We have so many different cultures and different people from different backgrounds, and the importance of having their, you know, their cultures and lifestyles highlighted, is a very important thing.

I believe that, my investment in the community just through my experience in the last three years as running a business and being an artist has been just, you know, connecting with other people who aren't, you know, just my skin color or, you know, come from where I come from, but just understand, like, the similarities that we have through art. You know what I mean? It's, a great way to build bridges and connections. My business itself, is making clothes, so I've had the opportunity to meet with, you know, sandwich store owners, coffee makers, and all these different things and, just share the, experience and knowledge from taking courses and classes and just being on the same level, like, playing field. Because, like, everybody starts in a different area, but we all are after the same thing.

And the city has kinda created that opportunity by providing classes and grants and things like that that help, push, artists to, you know, have that exposure and have that opportunity to experience something they never had to without having to feel like they have to put so much money into, something that they haven't did before, something that's unfamiliar. And that's it.

Hey. Thank you. I'm gonna start with council member Bushnell.

Thank you, chair, and thank you, Benjamin, for your willingness to apply and lend your expertise to the commission or the yeah. To the, sorry, the advisory board. My my question is, what is it like for you to work in a team?

A team? A team is just a bunch of people, coming together to get a job done. Work great with a team. We're all here for one goal. We all have different agendas, but we're here to get the same thing done. So it's just being a part of something that's bigger than yourself. Yeah. Everything requires a team. Nobody gets anything done by themself.

Great. Thank you so much.

Okay. Council member Scott? Thank you, Karen. I don't have any questions, but just wanted to say thank you, Benjamin, for taking the time to apply.

Thank you.

Okay. Let's see. Benjamin, I know that you are applying for the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board, and I was curious if you had any if you had a favorite program, on that that we do in Tacoma Creates or that we find.

I'm sorry. Can you repeat that one more time?

I was curious if you have a favorite program or cultural activity that, you know, is funded by Tacoma Creates.

I kinda deal with and dealt with a lot of things. I've done I've done a PCBA. I know the city has fun at that. I've done Spaceworks. I've recently done mentorship with Innovative Changemakers to help kids, like, who's going through, like, the juvenile system and things like that who are having trouble. So we do a mentorship with them right now. Yeah. I kinda just, dibble and dabble with a few programs that the city has helped fund and run because I feel like it's important to have people of all different places and faces around.

Perfect. Okay. Seeing no hands on line. How this will work is we have a few more interviews to do today, and then we will get in touch with you later on this week.

Alrighty. Thank you guys for your time.

You again for a bite.

Next up will be Martina. Tina, are you do were you able to make it into this meeting space?

Yeah. Can you hear me?

We can. Welcome to the economic development committee. And one of the the timer's up, but if one of the small boxes, there's a meeting room and chair Daniels is in that, she'll begin your interview.

Okay. Cool. Thank you.

Hi, Martina. Hi. Thank you so much for applying to serve the city of Tacoma.

Yeah. Honored to be here.

So how this will work is you will have two minutes to go over the questions that were sent to you, and then we have three minutes for my colleagues and I to ask you any follow-up questions. And there will be a timer on the screen, and it'll start whenever you start. Okay. You wanna just start?

Yep.

Okay. So the first question. So arts invest in the community connection and pride. It supports creativity, storytelling, and well-being. As an Asian American, I grew up not seeing my culture representative rent representative.

So now I see that Tacoma is uplifting more diverse communities, which I think is amazing. That's something I didn't see growing up, so it makes me really proud to be in Tacoma. It definitely creates a sense of belonging for future generations, and, I would love to be a part of it and help. And then the second one is, so I am rooted in Tacoma's creativity through my small business. I own Charm Studio and Bloom Bar, which is definitely a community based, I guess, business.

It brings people together and, you know, doing nails is definitely, like, nail art and stuff like that to express all the clients' personalities and stuff. So we get to connect with clients in the community in a different way. I also volunteer as the nail fairy, so I go to children's hospital and paint their nails. So that's another way of being creative and using my art skills to bring some joy to the kids that are having a hard time. I want to contribute to these decisions that reflect the community that actually needs it, and I wanna try to, I guess, bring more awareness to, like, the smaller institutions versus, like, the bigger ones. Okay.

Great. Thank you, Martina. I'm gonna start with council member Bushnell.

Thank you, chair, and thank you, Martina, for your willingness to apply and lend your expertise to the board. My question is, what is it like for you to work in a team?

Say that again. I'm sorry.

What is it like for you to work in a team?

Work in team? I definitely being a team player and hearing everybody's opinions, and also it's okay sometimes to agree to disagree. Everyone has different perspective. So I think working as a team and having multiple, like, minds and opinions will help us make more progress easier, I guess.

Great. Thank you so much.

Yeah. Okay. Let's see. I don't think I actually have any more questions for you, Martina. I'm just really grateful for, you applying, and, for wanting to serve the city of Tacoma. Yay. Thank you. So how this will work is we have a few more interviews today, and then somebody will be in touch with you later on this week. Okay. Perfect. Alright. You have a great day.

Thanks. You too. Bye.

And we should be at our last interview for the day, and that is Christopher.

Hello. My audio is off. Can everybody hear me okay?

Yep. Yes. We can. Alright.

And I muted myself, so I'm I'm doing well here. Oh, welcome to the economic development committee. To the other box is the, economic development committee, and chair Daniels will begin your interview.

Thank you, Nicole. Hi, Nick. I'm so sorry. Hi, Chris.

Hi there.

Thank you so much for applying to serve the city of Tacoma.

Oh, thanks for having me.

Okay. So how this will work is you'll have two minutes to go over the questions that were sent to you previously, and then we'll take three minutes for my colleagues and I to ask you any follow-up questions we may have. Okay. And so there's a timer on the screen, and that will start whenever you do.

Okay. Well, there were two questions that were sent to me, but I'm gonna start with the second one with the why because why is the most important thing. So why do I want to serve in this capacity? I I I'm an elementary music teacher, so I see, you know, how music and art helps students develop. And not just young students, I teach k through three, but everybody.

Music is for everybody. Art is for everybody at any age, any demographic, everybody. Art is a right. It's not a privilege. And I'd just like to tell you a quick story, that kinda illustrates this.

My son who's 17, My background is a little bit in my resume there, but we are immigrants from Korea. My wife is Korean, and my son was raised there for eight years. And I lived there a long time, so I immigrated with them. And he is working on a he was working on a national writing competition for the the Scholastic Writing Competition. And I was working with him sometimes till after midnight.

And after a couple days, he wrote his personal essay about it was about his immigration to America and having two cultures and leaving his grandma behind who raised him. And he got to the end, and he said, dad, I wrote a really good story. And he gave it to his friend JJ to read. And JJ who likes to play computer games and doesn't like to read, he got the story, stopped playing computer games, read the story from beginning to end, and then he's like, dad, JJ was kinda crying at the end. And he's like, I really did something good here, and that's what I wanna do is build people up with arts.

Right. And that was the that's the first and second? That was the why. Right? Did you do the second question as well or the first one?

Not really. I kinda ran out of time there.

Do you want to take do you want to do that one? We still got three minutes.

What do I think is exciting about the city's investment in the arts and cultural sector? Well, I've talked to Mandy Zilstra who's on the Tacoma Arts Commission a little bit. And, you know, we talked about what the arts commission can do can do for the community, like to come arts at the armory. And I also talked to my friend, Olivia Samuel, who was a past member of the commission, and we talked about the the Black Lives Matter mural on the steps, at the plaza there. And, I'm just, I'm excited to reach out to the broader community because we've been living here for almost nine years now.

And I I feel like, you know, I've got my community here. I teach at for Crest at Whittier Elementary, and I've got my small community around me. But I'd really like to be a part of the the larger Tacoma scene, especially downtown. And I've been playing with Kareem Candy who has a jazz group who plays around the the downtown area a lot too. And I just wanna branch out and hopefully do some good.

Great. Okay. Got a couple minutes up. I can't really see, but we'll just go with the flow. Seeing no hands online, I will see if council member Bushnell has a question.

Thank you, and thank you so much, Chris, for your willingness to apply and lend your expertise to this commission. My question is, what is it like for you to work in a team?

Well, I'm an I'm a teacher at an elementary school, so we work as a team. I'm the music teacher, so I see every single student in the school, and I work with every single teacher and staff member in the school. And when we say our our team is a family, we we mean it. You really have to it it takes a village, and we all work together to support our kids.

Great. Thank you so much.

Okay. Council member Scott, I do not have any questions here. Thank you. And thank you, Christopher, for taking the time to apply. I appreciate it. Okay, Christopher. Thank you so much for applying, and thank you for all of the work that you do with our, students. How this will work is, we will continue our interviews, and then someone will get in touch with you, later on this week.

Alright.

Thank you. Have a good day.

Thank you for your time.

Thanks. Alright. I am going to call a quick five minute recess. If Okay. So we're gonna take a five minute reset.

Can you pause the mic and stuff? Okay. Welcome back. We are ready to begin motions for the appointment for both the Tacoma Art Commission and the Tacoma Creative Advisory Board. But before we do that, if I could just take comments from the committee on, maybe top candidates, or any observations.

I'm happy to start. Right here. I wanna say that for the Tacoma Arts Commission, some of my top some of the folks who had some of the top comments that rose to my mind were Elizabeth, Hannah,

you know,

Anne, Sierra, and Raul. Probably also, think, would be great. Yeah. For that specific committee, that was those are some of the folks who came sort of rose to the top 20. You said for the. Yes. Alright. Councilman Scott, do you have any pop for the yard? Yeah. I I also like to Marley and Sierra as well.

I got Janessa and Elizabeth really well. I know Elizabeth applied for either board. And, also, I liked Dominique as well. Council member Deschneil.

Thank you, chair. I think we had some really fantastic hands. It's really hard to narrow down and pick out out out of everybody. And so we're looking for top four. Is that what I'm hearing?

Yeah. For the arch For

the arch. Thank you. I really, really liked Ishuang Ishuang Pan. Really thought she was a fantastic had a great interview. Really bring a good perspective. I also I think Janessa has some great things to say. Rolf Batista as well as Sierra. Those are kind of my the book that kind of rose to the top top of my mind. I don't really like the z. So definitely open to that.

Okay. I think for me, I liked Elizabeth for the Arts Commission, also Sierra and Pan. Everybody did a really good job, but I think I would I think those they they were also taught for me also, Janessa, And even.

If I could maybe make a suggestion. Yeah. I think maybe we consider the to go create advisory boards very quickly, and then we'll move on to finishing off the commission.

Alright. Start there. That. Yeah.

I think it'll just be easier to move along. But

K.

So there there's only one person that's eligible for the district wide position, Elena in Turok. So I'm gonna go ahead and make a motion there, if that's okay, mister chair. Please. I move to recommend the appointment of Elena Turlock to the district five position on the Tacoma Creek Advisory Board to fill an unincpired term to expire 08/31/2028.

A second? Second. Alright. All those in favor of this motion, say aye. Aye. All those opposed? Okay. The motion passes. Does somebody already have a recommendation for the second one? Happy to do that. Okay. I move to recommend the appointment of Martina, no, to the professional position one on the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board to fill an unexpired term to expire 08/31/2026, followed by a three year term to expire 08/31/2020.

Second. All

right. All those in favor? Signify by saying yes. Aye. All those opposed, signify by saying nay. Okay. The motion carries. Alright. Let's do I think we can get one done at least Mhmm. For the re the reappointment. Yeah. Let's start here. Do I have a motion for the reappointment of Sarah? Any hope? I'll move to recommend the reappointment of Sarah Jane Hope for the at large three position on the Tacoma Art Commission to serve a three year term effective 01/01/2026 to expire 12/31/2028.

Second.

Alright. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, signify by saying nay. The motion carries.

This slows down just a second here. We've got three Atlart positions available. Maybe we need a couple of minutes to just kinda get our thoughts together for these? Sure. Or are we ready? I'm trying to put together some motion too. Okay. Give us I'll two minutes. Take whatever. Yeah.

I'll take any I'll take any. She took good hash marks on who we said where. Yes. That got lotion for four, five, six, and seven, but I'm missing one, two or two and three. Think everything down. See. I don't know if she had, but she had an orthopedic. I think the second one's from, like, Yep. And. They might be tired.

I just can't remember if I heard more Dominique or more Lindsay. I think they both have had Or Marley. So I will move on start on number four. I'll move to recommend the appointment of Sierra McClain to the at large nine position on the Performa Arts Commission to fill an unexpired term effective 01/01/2026 to expire 12/31/2026, followed by a three year term to expire December. K.

All those, in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed signify by saying aye. Okay. Motion carries. Great. I move to recommend the appointment of Vanessa Post to the professional position one on the film art commission to serve a three year term effective 01/01/2026, expire 12/31/2028.

Second.

Alright. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed? Okay. Motion carries. I move to recommend the appointment of Johann Pan Pam to the professional position two on the Tacoma Arts Commission to serve a three year term effective 01/01/2026 to expire 12/31/2020. Second. K. All those in favor, signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All those are both. Okay. Motion carries. And then I move to recommend the appointment of Elizabeth Panamino to the Oklahoma Public Education requisition on the diploma arts commission to fill an uninspired term to expire 12/31/2020 followed by a three year term to expire 12/31/2029.

Second.

All those in favor excuse me. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed? Okay. Motion carries. Now there are how many of that? Three. Two. An at large person two and at large person two. And we have Lindsey, Dominique, Earl, Marley, and Christopher that I forgot the left that could be considered. Exactly. You guys can go ahead.

I could just say the top two from Perfect. For myself. I really I really appreciated Nancy and Rolf. I think that they can bring a really great experience and and diversity to the commission.

Anyone else? Yeah. I like I like that. I recommend the appointment of Lindsey Dodge for the at large who's been two on the trauma of arts commission deserve a three year term effective 01/01/2026, expired 12/31/2028. Second.

Alright. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. And then I move to recommend the appointment of Dominique Karen to the at large seven position on the Tacoma Arts Commission to serve a three year term effective 01/01/2026 to expire 12/31/2020. Second. Alright. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed? Aye. Okay. Welcome, period. Alright.

Is that all good? So Yep. Yep. That's all. Good. Any comments coming today?

Yep. Just I there's not I have no qual about our final appointment. I I really do think that support that we have a strong diversity across the board, and I have noticed that there is a little bit less representation from Ben on on his commission. And so I really wanted to to bring that as an adviser for the board in the future. I

realized that as I was making the motions. Thirty seconds faster next time. Alright. Thank you. K.

Alright. Our. Thank you guys for doing all of those interviews today. I think I think it's better that we do both the ARTS ones at the same time so we have that flexibility. It's a longer day, but I think it's better. Okay. I got, I need a motion for the yeah. Alright. Okay. So topics for upcoming meeting.

I would like to call on kind of product executive layout for topics for us. We are in the middle of planning our next couple of meetings that we'd like to suggest to the committee and to yeah. To the committee. So that is not going to be something I can do today, but happy to address.

Up the meetings, I would love to hear about the last meeting of the year because I thought that this was the last meeting. You said earlier, deputy mayor, you were like, no. This isn't my last EDC meeting, and I have had an elevated heart rate ever since.

I believe there's one on the sixteenth. Is there not? It might be the last meeting of the year. And if so

Because the sixteenth is a third Tuesday, and so, GPFC is meeting.

Okay. Oh, that's why we're doing our motion now. Okay. So I'll make a motion to move forward the 2026 to 2030 Community and Economic Development Strategic Plan, the full council for consideration. Second. Alright. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed? Great.

The motion carries. We are going to move forward the community and economic development strategic plan that we all worked so hard on in this committee. I thought it was important that it wasn't just like staff bringing it forward, but that we brought it forward as a full committee since we put so much work in it. So with that, I'm happy that this was the not happy that this is the last meeting of the year, but I know you've done tremendous work. And, yeah, if are there any other items of interest from the committee? Sure. Sure. Sure. Yeah.

Just appreciate your effort.

It has definitely been an honor. It's been great to have you came in this year and staff effort we have gone through, all of the things that we've just done. It's tremendous amount of work. So, yeah, well, with that, I will take the final motion.

Sure. Second.

All those in favor, signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed? The motion is declared adopted. We stand with Shembol.