"Wright tabbed to fill vacant Ward 3 seat; New City Council member selected, sworn in during Tuesday night's meeting"

I don't know Pat personally, but former Pullman City Councilman Al Sorensen gave Pat a strong recommendation, which is good enough for me.

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Pat Wright's resume apparently was too good to pass up.

Wright, 60, was appointed to the Pullman City Council as the representative for the vacant Ward 3 position Tuesday following a unanimous vote by council members.

Councilman Barney Waldrop said Wright's record of public service in Pullman and her commitment to the community made her an obvious choice.

"She's touched a lot of bases in the community that are important," he said.

Wright was chosen from a pool of candidates that also included Dave Gibney and Terence Day. The Ward 3 seat came open when it was determined that Devon Felsted, elected to the seat in November, would have to step down due to a conflict of interest. David Stiller, who was voted into the position in 2003, did not seek re-election.

All candidates applied for the vacant seat by submitting a resume and answers to questions regarding their community involvement and background.

The three candidates were interviewed separately by the council Tuesday following a three-minute opening statement. Each council member asked the candidates a prepared question, some of which included their vision of Pullman in the future and what issues they believe to be hot topics in Pullman.

Each applicant was then given one minute to make a closing statement.

Wright briefly described the important relationship between Pullman and Washington State University, her desire to make public safety a top priority and her support for city growth.

"I feel I can be a good liaison for the different constituents we serve," she said, adding that she plans to listen to the concerns and desires of the public "so we're going in the direction our residents want us to go."

The council made its decision following a 15-minute executive session to discuss the candidates. Wright was then given the oath of office and asked to join the council on the bench for the closing of the meeting.

Councilman Bill Paul said the group had to "do some soul searching" when choosing one person from the three qualified candidates. In the end, he said Wright was the most qualified for the job.

"She's done such a wide range of work in the community," he said. "We look forward to working with her."

Wright has been a Pullman resident since 1975 and works as a campus relations consultant for Barnes and Noble. She recently retired as general manager of The Bookie at WSU.

Wright sits on the boards of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce and Pullman Education Foundation. She also is active in the Pullman Civil Service Commission and the Pullman Regional Hospital Auxiliary.

Wright said she was nervous with the rapid-fire questions by the council during the interview, but feels a sense of relief and is excited for the challenge of her new position.

"I'm excited. I'm just delighted to work with this group," she said. "I just feel like I can make a contribution."