Justin Paulsen has my full support in this November’s election for seat #2 on the San Juan County Council. I’ve known Justin for nearly 20 years and admire his tireless service to community as a builder, as a parent, as a coach, as an advocate for youth, as an Orcas Park & Recreation Commissioner and especially as a member of the Ferry Advisory Committee during this difficult chapter of ferry anxiety. Justin’s steady posts about ferry scheduling issues and genuine listening are helping us to navigate through a challenging time, and the Community Water Taxi is a great example of a creative and local solution that he has worked hard to make available to all.

Justin is the guy who you can count on to get ‘er done – no matter what the topic or problem. I appreciate his stated platform and find myself in alignment with his key issues of transportation, housing, climate/environment and making county governance more effective – but more than that I trust him to actually DO something creative and productive to solve these problems and improve our lives in San Juan County.

I got to know Justin in my work for OPAL Community Land Trust back in 2005 when he was building affordable homes. I was impressed with his clear communication, work ethic, solid craftsmanship, attention to detail and the fact that he had a woman on his young construction crew. These are the qualities we want in a county council member: communication, care, dedication, detail, inclusion.

Most recently, I’ve been working with Justin at Orcas Park & Rec in my role as a board member of the Orcas Island Pickleball Club. Justin listened well to the needs of the pickleball community, and he was there at the courts with his own equipment helping us get ready for the resurfacing project. He’s not a “yes” man – he drew the line at managing expense when it came to staying on budget – but he also helped save costs by rolling up his sleeves and pitching in.

Please join me in supporting Justin for County Council.

Suzanne Olson

Orcas Island