Thurston Environmental Voters

Bill Fishburn has been involved in many community groups since moving to Thurston County. He has been a den and pack leader for Cub Scouts, PTA President, founder of a non-profit booster club for a high school band, operations manager of a community garden, for which he co-founded a non-profit, and now serves as the president of the garden’s board and on the board of the Girl Scouts of Western Washington. He has also been the President and the Treasurer of the Hispanic Roundtable of South Sound since 2008; a group that sponsors an annual Latino Youth Summit for 500 high school students.

Most recently, Fishburn has been involved in the ACLU People Power Resistance movement, protecting the rights of our immigrant neighbors and friends. Fishburn and his wife own a small BBQ sauce manufacturing company and sell the sauce at local bazaars and are working to expand their distribution. They are also currently planning to open a regional craft brewery in Rainier. As a small business owner, Fishburn is poignantly aware of what it means to do business ethically, and with fiscal responsibility. Operating at a deficit is not a sustainable business model. Fishburn welcomes the opportunity to serve the broader community as an elected official.

E.J. Zita was elected Olympia Port Commissioner in 2015. Zita works for economic sustainability, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. She is a scientist, farmer, and teacher. With a PhD in physics, Zita worked in industry and national laboratories, and currently teaches at Evergreen. On her ranch in south Thurston County she raises beef and poultry. As chair of the Thurston County Agriculture Committee, Zita works to preserve farmland and promote agriculture. As President of the Salmon Creek Basin Neighborhood Association, she held the Port to higher standards in residential areas and near schools. Appointed to the Port’s New Market Economic Development Advisory Committee, Zita represented concerned neighbors.
Zita knows transparency and accountability can improve Port operations. Our taxes must be used for public good, not short-term profits for a few. The Port must truly listen to the people, and plan with local agencies. Zita will lead the Port toward positive new opportunities, such as a Thurston Farm to Market Center and renewable energy. With her skills and vision, she insists on wise economic investment that serves the whole community and enhances our local environment. Zita is working to strengthen our neighborhoods, farms, environment, and economy.