Getting to Know Katherine | People-first leadership & proven results

||| FROM KATHERINE BRYANT INGMAN FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY COUNCIL |||

Excellent council members bring neighbors together, build on community strengths, identify solutions by focusing on shared goals, and lead through change and crisis with empathy and compassion. I have a proven, professional track record of effective community facilitation, mediation, and equitable outcomes — even in circumstances where diverse viewpoints seemed irreconcilable.

With the Lopez Island Prevention Coalition, I helped build a cross-sector coalition focused on promoting and enabling healthy behaviors for youth and families. Serving as an exceptional model for similar projects across the county, we heard directly from community members about their challenges and identified ways to make meaningful change, with a focus on education and building shared meaning. This work required listening to diverse and often differing viewpoints, finding shared goals, and making choices to move forward together.

I will always be proud of the work our community accomplished when we stood up the Lopez Food Share during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a truly community-wide effort, during a time of deep uncertainty, we brought together farmers, chefs, volunteers,
neighbors, and donors to feed 600 community members week after week.

We started at the Lopez Island Family Resource Center, and quickly out grew the space. I coordinated about 50 volunteers, and together, we moved thousands of pounds of food to a new location in Lopez Center. We designed an online ordering system that gave clients more choice, protected anonymity, and kept everyone safe by enabling delivery and curbside pick-up. We took this budget from $25,000 a year to a $400,000 operation in mere weeks.

In a crisis, proactive leadership and clear communication are crucial. This was an all-hands-on-deck situation, and my role as leader was to ensure that the members of our network had what they needed and worked in harmony with one another. Our community is already generous, compassionate, and hard-working. It was my job to identify and uplift our strengths and find ways to make our work more efficient and effective, enabling us to support more households in the ways they needed.  The outcome: neighbors taking care of neighbors, building a more resilient, localized, and friendly food system for everyone.

In 2020 I graduated from Leadership San Juan Islands, and later served as Program Director. I had the opportunity to bring island leaders together, educate the cohort on community issues, and create space for diverse voices and personalities to flourish while maintaining group cohesiveness.

One of the most consequential priorities affecting the San Juan Islands is healthcare and as president, I’m proud of the board leadership I’ve displayed through the Catherine Washburn Medical Association. Here, I manage a $4.5 million budget and work collaboratively with our board and community healthcare organizations to deliver equitable healthcare for the Lopez Island Community. We worked hard over the last year to secure a new long-term partner for the Lopez Island Medical Clinic in Sea Mar Community Health and we’re looking forward to a long-lasting relationship.

In addition to living and working in the islands full-time, I’ve built effective relationships with leaders in Olympia and throughout the state in my role as a senior manager with the Washington Women’s Foundation. My team has effectively advocated for statewide
legislation like workplace protections for people experiencing menopause and collaborated with local nonprofits for coordinated Advocacy Days. We’ve also brought members of state agencies to impacted communities for face-to-face education and support.

As your council member, I bring experience and dedication in advocating for San Juan County at the state level and gaining the kinds of meaningful support our communities need.

To learn more about me, visit katherinebryantingman.com/