SILVERDALE — Central Kitsap mortgage lender and property manager Phil Cook filed as a candidate for the office of Kitsap County assessor.

“Each day I deal with the challenges of property valuations throughout Kitsap, either through managing my own properties or through those of my customers,” said Cook. “It’s vital that our next assessor knows firsthand what the property owners of Kitsap County are faced with.”

Cook has worked as a home loan officer at Bank of America in Bremerton and Silverdale for 10 years, where he served as a mortgage loan officer and retail sales

manager. He also owns and runs KP Rental Propertiesand manages a number of rental properties throughout Kitsap County.

“Over the months ahead I look forward to sharing my approach to serving Kitsap County property owners and residents as Assessor,” said Cook. “The office is in good shape, but as I’ve learned while building and managing businesses, updating and improving services and efficiency must be a priority.”

After graduating from the University of Arkansas, where h was a scholarship athlete on the Razorback football team, he returned to his family home in Glendale, Calif., and attended Azusa Pacific University and obtained a masters degree in education. He then earned a masters of public administration from University of Southern California.

Cook has been involved in Rebuilding Together of Kitsap County, Relay for Life, and Business Networking International, where he served as President. He is an Eagle Scout and Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree.

Cook and his wife, Kristin, a a 1994 Central Kitsap High School graduate, have two children, Philip and Ayla. They reside in Silverdale.