LYW Episode 25, Oct 10, 2024: Live Panel Discussion - SeaFeast

Live Panel Discussion on Whatcom's Waterfronts

Bellingham SeaFeast was this last weekend, and up on the main stage, Dan Tucker hosted a panel of local, state, and national legislators and officials to chat about our waterfronts, their development, the challenges, and the future.

Love Your Waterfront would like to extend a thank you to all who participated in the panel for their insight, information, and enthusiasm around our waterfronts.

Featured in the panel:
Mayor Kim Lund
Mayor Lund is a Bellingham Public Schools alumna and mom, and a graduate of the University of Washington. She has been a team leader at Intel Corporation, a small business owner, and executive director at the Bellingham Public Schools Foundation. Mayor Lund holds a Leading Sustainable Corporations certificate from the Said School of Business at Oxford University. She has served on the Whatcom County Planning Commission, the boards of directors for Brigid Collins, Whatcom Million Trees Project, and CommunityWise Bellingham, and the Bellingham Public Schools Sustainability Advisory Committee.

Xochitl Castaneda, Maritime Administration (MARAD)
Xochitl (pronounced So-chee) Castañeda is the Director of the Pacific Northwest & Alaska Gateway Office in Seattle, Washington. Her area of responsibility includes the states of Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, featuring over one hundred ports. She is a retired USCG Officer where she served in Seattle, Portland, Houston, Washington DC and Los Angeles/Long Beach. She is a spicy food lover and aspiring fisher.

Senator, 42nd District, Sharon Shewmake
Sen. Sharon Shewmake was sworn into office on Dec. 9, 2022 and serves as Vice Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and on the Senate Housing Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee. Sharon is focused on helping families with affordability of housing and energy, creating jobs and building infrastructure, and ensuring everyone can live in safe communities. She is a professor of environmental economics, urban economics and energy policy at Western Washington University, as well as a children’s book author, spouse, and mother of two young boys.

Representative, 42nd District, Alicia Rule
Representative Rule was elected in 2020 to the state legislature. Alicia is Vice Chair of the Human Services, Youth & Early Learning Committee, and also serves on the Capital Budget and Innovation, Community & Economic Development, & Veterans committees. Alicia holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a master’s degree from San Diego State University. She owns a mental health practice and runs this small business while serving in the Legislature. She also served on the Blaine City Council, and launched and served as president of the Blaine Downtown Development Association. Most importantly though, Alicia is the proud mom of three boys and a very active puppy.

Michael Shepard, Port Commissioner
Michael Shepard is in his second term as a commissioner for the Port of Bellingham. He is also a professor in Western Washington University’s Department of Anthropology. He and his family live in the Columbia neighborhood of Bellingham.

Ken Bell, Port Commissioner
Ken Bell is a business owner in Bellingham. He owns Iron Creek Group a contaminated soil clean up business and previously owned Best Recycling whose primary business served the Antarctic Continent as well as several recycling facilities in 3 states and Canada. He is a Port Commissioner, first elected in 2017. Married with two grown daughters both pregnant at the moment.

Listen to the full panel Discussion: