Commitment I
Timely, accurate death investigations.
A Coroner’s report is a piece of the truth a family is waiting for, often urgently. It is also a document that law enforcement, insurance, public health, and the courts will rely on. Getting it right — the first time — is not optional.
I will commit to modern investigation protocols, careful science, and the discipline to be both thorough and timely. I will work with the medical examiner system, regional pathology resources, and the State of Washington’s coroner training program to keep Skagit’s practices at or ahead of state standards.
Commitment II
Compassion for every family.
When a family receives a call from the Coroner, it is the worst day of their life. The first job of this office is to meet them there with respect, patience, and clear communication.
That means consistent, humane death-notification practices. It means honoring the religious and cultural customs of every family, including the customs of the Swinomish, Upper Skagit, and Sauk-Suiattle communities whose lands these are. It means follow-up: families should never feel forgotten the moment the case file closes.
Commitment III
Transparent operations, modern protocols.
Public confidence in the Coroner’s office is built on the ability to see how it works. I will publish clear annual reports of caseload, response times, and outcomes — with the privacy of individuals fully protected.
I will share appropriate data with hospitals, public-health partners, and tribal health authorities, so Skagit can act on what we learn together. Fentanyl and opioid deaths, agricultural and industrial fatalities, and the broader patterns of harm in our county deserve to be understood, not buried.
In Practice
Collaboration with the people doing the work.
The Coroner does not work alone. Skagit County is served by extraordinary first responders, sheriff’s deputies, hospital staff, hospice teams, and tribal health workers. I will be a partner to all of them — available, prepared, and willing to do the hard, careful work that the office demands.
I will also be available to Skagit County’s residents directly. The Coroner’s office is yours. You should be able to find it, understand it, and trust it.
A Note on Experience
Character is the qualification.
Neither candidate in this race comes to it with lived experience of the work itself — the state of Washington provides the certification that legally qualifies a Coroner to serve. What the state cannot certify is character: judgment, discretion, honesty, and the ability to do the right thing when no one is watching.
That is the standard I am asking Skagit County to vote on. I have spent a lifetime being trusted with things that matter — the highest civilian clearance in the nation, the systems at the heart of America’s defense, and a children’s readership that depends on me to tell them the truth. I am asking for the privilege of bringing that same care to this office.