Chung “Joe” Van, a long-time resident, community volunteer and leader, has announced his candidacy for SeaTac City Council.

Joe and his wife, Leslie, grew up in SeaTac, and have lived in SeaTac for over 23 years. The Van family lives only a few blocks from Joe’s parents, and their 3 children attend local Highline Schools. Joe is a graduate of Tyee High School, Highline Community College and the Des Moines Police Reserve Academy.

Joe has strong ties to the SeaTac Community and has been recognized and awarded for his local civic leadership. As winner of the statewide Molina Healthcare Community Champions award in 2011, Joe was honored for his civic involvement.

At McMicken Heights Elementary, Joe implemented the Watch D.O.G.S program, a father involvement initiative of the National Center for Fathering, geared toward providing positive male role models for students.

Joe has put into practice the value of giving and volunteerism in numerous ways, including:
-Coaching SeaTac youth in soccer and baseball
-Providing 6 years of leadership as Coalition Organizer for the Back to School Fair
-Serving our YMCA as a member of the Community Building Committee
-Working as a King County Emergency Response Team (CERT) member

Joe, 35, works as a Supervisor at Owens and Minor, a Fortune 200 medical and surgical supply company, that specializes in distribution of medical supplies.

“People who know me realize that I’m not one to sit on the sidelines when there’s a job to be done. We face tremendous challenges, such as the need to grow our local economy so that our residents can find good paying jobs, close to home. We need to work collaboratively with public officials to adequately fund our schools. There are great opportunities in SeaTac to strengthen our neighborhoods and improve our quality of life. I’m running for City Council to tackle these challenges head-on, and help shepherd SeaTac to a better future”, Joe said.

As the product of hard working parents who struggled to make ends meet, Joe understands the importance of investing in our children. He believes that taking care of our future is the most important work we can do. He envisions SeaTac collaborating with Highline Public Schools, police and fire, social service agencies and healthcare providers to meet the needs of the community.

Said Joe, “Residents are our strength, assets in our community, and we all need to work together to listen and work with each other for the solution”.

“I’m invested in SeaTac and have deep roots in this community”. We were raised here, attended the schools here, and this is where Leslee and I have chosen to raise our children. We care about the future of our neighbors and future of the City of SeaTac”.

Thank you for your consideration.