2025 Meet and Greet Sessions with the WA Congressional Delegation
The WSEMA Board has been working to coordinate and schedule Meet and Greet Sessions with the WA Congressional Delegation to discuss the current situation in Emergency Management. The first in this series was on April 16th in Tacoma with Representative Randall of WA 6th District covering Clallam, Kitsap, Mason, Jefferson, and Grays Harbor counties, and part of Pierce County.
The 2nd event was on April 23rd in Spokane with Representative Michael Baumgartner 5th District.
Our third event was with Representative Marilyn Strickland 10th District at the Pierce County EOC on May 9th. WA Congressional District 10 includes Olympia, JBLM and includes portions of Thurston and Pierce counties (including parts of Tacoma).
On May 29th WSEMA members met with Senator Patty Murray and provided a briefing on the foundations of Emergency Management, and what’s at risk with recent federal policy changes. The best part of the day, was being able to present as part of a team of fantastic WSEMA members – Julie de Losada, Chandra Fox, Tony Miller, Sharon Wallace and Lucia Schmit! It was a good opportunity to have a candid discussion. A big thanks to WSEMA board member Hannah Cleverly for representing the association and its members in the discussion.
On July 28th at the King County EOC in Renton, WSEMA members met with Rep. Adam Smith to continue discussions around the issues facing the field of Emergency Management and the State of Washington. Thank you to our members and the Congressman for taking the time to meet with us and dive deeper into the world of Emergency Management and the way we serve our communities.
On July 29, the Washington State Emergency Management Association (WSEMA) hosted a meet-and-greet with U.S. Representative Rick Larsen. Approximately 15 WSEMA members participated, including Skagit County Commissioner Lisa Janicki, public works officials from Skagit and Whatcom counties, and emergency management professionals representing the private-sector, and local and tribal government.
The discussion focused on Representative Larsen’s newly introduced bipartisan Fixing FEMA Act, co-sponsored by Representative John Duarte (R-CA). Attendees underscored the realities of local emergency management and emphasized the distinct yet complementary roles played by local, tribal, state, and federal governments in preparing for and responding to disasters. Representative Larsen noted that the Fixing FEMA Act is scheduled for a hearing on September 3, upon Congress’s return from recess.
Upcoming Events
Representative Suzan DelBene -1st District King & Snohomish Counties on August 11th. Please RSVP here. This event will be in Bellevue. A big shout out to WSEMA Member Carl Lunak for hosting
Representative Kim Schrier – 8th District – eastern portions of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, and crosses the Cascade Range to include Chelan and Kittitas counties, as well as a precinct in East Wenatchee in Douglas County. – Late August