Gov. Gregoire creates Washington State Quarter Advisory Commission

For Immediate Release: April 22, 2005

OLYMPIA � April 20, 2005 � Gov. Christine Gregoire today created a 22-member commission to design the Washington state commemorative quarter. She named nine citizens and four students to the commission. Ten another appointments will be made by other elected officials, agencies and associations.

The new state quarter is part of a 10-year program started by Congress in 1999. Five coins are unveiled each year in the order of states� admittance to the Union. The back side of each quarter honors that state. The U.S. Mint will release Washington�s quarter in 2007.

The Washington State Quarter Advisory Commission will be responsible for developing recommendations to the governor on a design concept by September 2005.

The honorary commission chairman is First Gentleman Mike Gregoire. Administrative chair is Kris Tucker, executive director of the State Arts Commission. The State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Historical Society, State Senate, State House of Representatives and American Numismatic Association will all have designees on the commission. These commissioners have not yet been appointed.

Citizen members of the commission are Swinomish Indian Community Chairman Brian Cladoosby of La Conner, Sue Cohn of Port Angeles, Adair Dammann of Seattle, Jesse Farias of Wapato, Paul Jacobsen of Vancouver, Rep. John Lovick of Mill Creek, Mary Ann McCurdy of Spokane, Mary Riveland of Deer Habor and Josie Wannarachue of Kennewick.

Honorary student members of the commission are Emily Locke, 8, of Seattle, whose parents are former Gov. Gary Locke and former First Lady Mona Lee Locke; Justin Sevier, 11, of Olympia, whose parents are Jeri and Jeff Sevier; Elaine Whaley, 13, of Spokane, whose parents are Bob and Cindy Whaley; and Alex Drake, 11, of Olympia, whose parents are Cathy Johnston and Brian Drake.