I write to recommend Lisa Byers who is seeking office #2 on the county council. I think she is an outstanding candidate for that office who will serve the public well.

I first met Lisa in about 1999 when she was seeking to acquire from the Land Bank a portion of the property around Buck Park, which it had recently acquired. Lisa was acting on behalf of OPAL, the nonprofit organization on Orcas providing permanently affordable housing.

When we met she invited my participation in a public citizen forum conducted by OPAL to determine how to best use that land. As a consequence, I attended perhaps a half dozen public meetings conducted under her supervision. I came away extraordinarily impressed by Lisa’s skills fostering enlightened conversation and most particularly, in soliciting from each of the participants their respective views on the subject.

Since then, my wife and I have been regular contributors to OPAL and have met periodically with Lisa to discuss OPAL’s goals.

Lisa has led OPAL for 17 years with extraordinary skill which has resulted in more than 100 family homes on Orcas which are permanently affordable. By her candidacy, she is offering her executive expertise to the community at large.  I think it is an offer which we, the Orcas electorate, should seize.

Bob Henigson

Deer Harbor