Puget Sound Regional Council
The November 30, 2013 program consisted of Bob Drewel, Executive Director of the Puget Sound Regional Council. Drewel had many friends and colleagues in the audience for last weeks meeting .The PSRC was formed in 1991 by the local governments in the central Puget Sound region as a forum for making key decisions on regional growth and transportation issues. The agency serves as a Metropolitan Planning Organization and Regional Transportation Planning Organization for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties and cities.
Bob Drewel completed his third and last term as Snohomish County Executive in December 31, 2003. He was first elected to that position in November 1991. Drewel is the former chairman of Sound Transit and former president and chief executive officer of Everett Community College. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1970. He lives in Arlington with his wife. They have two grown daughters. Drewel is well known for his abilities to form partnerships between often-contendcing interests of the private and public sectors that are based on shared visions for a healthy and vigorous community. And, he has been involved in many, many organizations including Rotary.
The Puget Sound Regional Council is composed of 82 cities, towns and tribes with a 36 member board for the four county region. The goal might be the "Quality of Life through the Foundation of Life". There is a partnership between the Federal Government, State Government and the Puget Sound Regional Council and the development of key relationships is key to their work and successes. The agency is charged with certifying land uses changes for cities as well as the economic nexus for every land use decision. There has to be an ROI on every project as well as creating jobs in the four counties. Drewel has a very strong and high praise for Rotary. Drewel commented that there are lots of opportunities for this region. One of his goals is to approach local high schools to make young students aware of a sense of our economic development prospects.
The military bases in this region are the largest concentration of military in the United States. The impact of the Council's work will have extreme benefits for Lake Stevens. Rural areas need more investments in their areas. There is lots of dollars for baccalaureate funding for high school students and Lake Stevens students are taking advantage of these funds. The group was successful in developing an Aerospace component in the Governor's Office. Community and Technical College efforts at the legislative level is the next goal of the Council. And, Clean Technology efforts are another goal of the agency.
Another Great program this past week.