Former Bremerton school board member Cynthia Triplett Galloway has announced that she is running for the District 1 city council seat.
Incumbent Jim McDonald announced earlier that he will not seek reelection to the council.
Galloway relocated to Bremerton in 1995 and says her initial interest in public service stemmed from her work in schools, social service agencies, mental health centers, and working with youth. She said her interest in demonstrating proactive leaderships and promoting economic development remains a “breath of fresh air” for her.
A former mental health therapist and social worker, Galloway is now a guidance counselor with at-risk youngsters. She got her start in politics on the Bremerton School Board, where she served six years, including several years as the board president, vice president, a judge for the Washington School Board Directors Diversity Committee, board representative for the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association for athletic programs and a member of the National School Board Association.
Galloway said her school board experience prepared her well and gives her the experience needed to be a city council member. She noted that from 2003-2010, the district consisted of at least 43,000 residents, a student body of 4,500 and 650 employees. She notes that she helped to oversee an annual budget ranging from $44-51 million.
In addition, Galloway noted that during her time on the board she was responsible for:
• Developing, implementing, reviewing and monitoring of the district’s policies including short- and long-term goals.
• Selecting, hiring, retaining and evaluating the performance of the superintendent, the district’s chief executive officer, and setting policy for hiring other personnel.
• Providing direction for, adopting and monitoring collective bargaining processes and agreements with employee unions.
• Serving on various hearing panels on such issues as termination, expulsion and grievance.
• Building public support and understanding of public education. This means communicating and interpreting the school district’s mission to the public.
• Setting a direction for and approving/adopting the curriculum and curriculum materials and closing and constructing schools.
• Ensuring public accountability by keep the district focused on learning and achievement for all students.
Galloway holds a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Mississippi State University and a masters of art degree in mental health counseling from City University. She is also the published author of “How Does Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Affect the Intimate Relationships of Women of Color?”
