OLYMPIA, WA Gov. Jay Inslee appoints two new members to the Washington State Transportation Commission. Deborah Young from Lopez Island and Hester Serebrin from Seattle, Washington, joined the commission.

Full commission terms are six years. However, Young was appointed to fill a seat vacated mid-term by Mary Riveland from Orcas Island, so her term of appointment is from Dec. 29, 2015, to June 30, 2016. Serebrin fills a seat vacated by Rita Brogan from Vashon Island, so her term of appointment is from Dec. 29, 2015, to June 30, 2021.

"We face significant challenges managing growing demands on our roadways and ferries and ensuring we make smart use of our transportation resources," said Inslee. "Deborah and Hester understand these challenges and their experience and expertise in transportation and strategic planning will be of great benefit to the commission."

Young has lived in Washington State her entire life and currently resides on Lopez Island. She and her husband own and operate Lopez Island Farm, a small-diversified farm selling grass-fed lamb, pork and specialty food products to consumers in the Puget Sound region. Young worked for more than 20 years as the natural resources manager for Tacoma Power, where she gained a wealth of experience working with challenging issues and opposing views, and identifying workable solutions.  

"I am committed to sustaining and improving the quality of life in Washington State," said Young. "Transportation is a cutting-edge issue for the future livability of our state, and managing it well will allow us to retain our quality of life as we grow. Having a workable transportation system is important to all of us across the state and I am interested in being a part of how we solve our need for increased investments in infrastructure and maintenance, while facing decreasing revenues from traditional funding sources."

Serebrin is a native Washingtonian and currently works as a policy analyst for Transportation Choices Coalition in Seattle, a non-profit transit advocacy organization. In this role she has focused on developing health and equity performance measures for Puget Sound's regional transportation system. Prior to this, she worked for the City of Seattle's Department of Transportation. While there, her work included analyzing the economic impacts of mitigation strategies related to construction on Seattle's waterfront. She brings strong skills and experience in long-range transportation planning, policy analysis, and funding mechanisms.

"Washington state needs an affordable, reliable and safe transportation system to meet the needs of all users," said Serebrin. "Careful statewide planning can help create sustainable communities with increased opportunities for healthy and active transportation. Because access to transportation is also a key determinant in economic mobility, our state's long-term economic health relies on connecting people to jobs, schools and services."