Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 17, 1998
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke appoints four to monorail project group

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke today named four Seattle residents to the newly created Elevated Transportation Co., a result of a monorail initiative that went before Seattle voters last fall.

The public corporation is responsible for building, maintaining and operating an electric monorail system. The system will have a series of stations throughout Seattle city limits.

The group is composed of 12 members, four of whom are named by the governor, four of whom are named by the mayor of Seattle, and the remaining four named by the president of the Seattle City Council.

Locke's appointees include:

Claude Forward of Seattle, a retired Boeing employee and former business owner in Seattle. Forward has been active in his community and has served on a number of organizations, including the Optimists International, where he served as secretary-treasurer. He also joined the Southeast Effective Development group, was a member of the Neighborhood Business Council and the Neighborhood Health Center. He has received numerous civic commendations for his public service.

Gwendolyn A. Lee of Seattle, business manager and financial secretary for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 46. Lee has served on the Washington State Association of Electrical Workers, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, the Washington State Labor Council, The Puget Sound Electrical Workers Health and Welfare Trust and the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Council.

Lois North of Seattle, former state representative and senator. North has also served as chair of the King County Council and the Metro Council. North has been a board member of the Municipal League of Seattle, the Seattle League of Women Voters, and the King County-Metro Consolidation Advisory Committee.

Yvonne Sanchez of Seattle, a community resource manager with the state Department of Social and Health Services. She has served in a variety of public service organizations, including the National Advisory Board of Latino Executives to the Child Welfare League of America, the advisory board for the Seattle Institute of Public Service, the Central Area Chamber of Commerce, the Minority Health Coalition and the King County Charter Commission.

All individuals named to the group must be confirmed by the Seattle City Council. Each member's term expires Feb. 7, 2003.

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