Hello and welcome to That's So Auburn! I'm Nancy Backus, Mayor of the City of Auburn, and today's episode is a very special one.

I'm joined by a City of Auburn staff member who has dedicated nearly four decades of her life to serving Auburn's older adults and helping shape one of the most welcoming and meaningful places in our community: the Auburn Senior Activity Center.

Radine Lozier began her career with the City of Auburn in June of 1986, right after graduating from Central Washington University with a degree in Gerontology. What started as her first "grown-up" job became a life's calling. Over the past 40 years, Radine has helped create programs, community, connection, and care for generations of Auburn seniors and their families.

But if you ask Radine, she'll be the first to tell you that while she spent her career serving older adults, they were the ones who taught her how to live. Through life's biggest moments -- joy, grief, celebration, change -- the people of the Senior Center have been part of her story, just as she has been part of theirs.

Now, as Radine prepares to retire from the City of Auburn and, in her own words, transition into her new role as a Senior Center participant, we wanted to take time to celebrate her remarkable career, the lives she's touched, and the legacy she leaves behind.

Mayor Nancy Backus is joined this episode by Valley Regional Fire Authority Chief Brad Thompson! Why is he on the show today? Because we want to talk about fire safety, fire preparedness, and fill you in on some of the recent happenings at the fire authority, which services Auburn in addition to Algona and Pacific.

Chief Thompson began his firefighting career in 1999, at the then-Auburn Fire Department. Since that time, he's worked his way through the ranks, gaining experience in nearly every facet of the fire service – from public education to technical rescue to planning and logistics. He was appointed Fire Chief in 2021, and brings with him not only a deep understanding of our local communities, but also a strong focus on collaboration, communication, and innovation.

He's here today to share some insights, offer some practical tips to keep you and your family safe, and give us a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible work being done by the VRFA.

Hello and welcome to episode six of our third season of That's So Auburn! In this episode we're joined by two guests in our City of Auburn Emergency Management division, brand new Emergency Manager Matthew Colpitts and Emergency Management Coordinator Tyler Turner.

Matthew is just a few weeks into the job, having joined us July 1, but he brings with him a wealth of knowledge from his over 20 years of experience in emergency management. He earned his doctorate in 2014, with a dissertation focused on senior leadership's perceptions of emergency management in higher education. Previously, he served as the Emergency Preparedness Manager at the University of Washington Bothell, where he oversaw campus emergency operations, preparedness training, incident response, and recovery efforts. In his free time, Matt enjoys traveling and learning new things. A fun fact about him: he's a proud nerd who still plays Dungeons & Dragons! Which I can't wait to ask him about.

And Tyler has over 15 years of cumulative Emergency Management & Emergency Services experience. He received his undergrad in Homeland Security & Emergency Management in 2015 from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. He started with the City of Auburn in 2014, and prior to that, worked as a Paramedic throughout the state of Alaska, including remote areas on the North Slope and on offshore vessels in the Arctic. Outside of work, Tyler enjoys spending time with his Wife, Molly, and two Daughters, Emersyn & Maisie.

Give the episode a listen and don't forget to like, share and subscribe!

Hello and welcome to episode four of our third season of That's So Auburn! I'm Nancy Backus, Mayor of the City of Auburn, and today I'm joined by two guests, Interim Events Supervisor Kristy Pachciarz and Events Coordinator Amanda Valdez! They're the brainpower behind many of our events organized by our Parks, Arts and Recreation department, such as Veterans Parade, Petpalooza, KidsDay, Lighted Santa Parade and of course, the Auburn Farmers Market.

Kristy has been with the City of Auburn since 2006. It wasn't long after she joined our ranks that she created Petpalooza, one of the premiere pet-related events in South King County, let alone the State of Washington. She's also had a hand in creating half a dozen others, like Daddy Daughter Date Night and Peter Cotton Trail.

She organizes the Veterans Parade each and every year, alongside a handful of other major events, so she's quite busy just about every day of the year.

Amanda joined the City of Auburn in 2015 and since becoming a coordinator in 2016, has overseen the Auburn Farmers Market each and every summer. She's helped shepherd the market into a premiere shopping experience for our Auburn residents and visitors, bringing fresh produce, craft-made items, delicious sweets and more to thousands of our patrons. She also oversees our Lighted Santa Parade, one of my favorite events of the year. I just love seeing all of the people march down to City Hall and stand in awe as our tree lighter flips the switch.

Give us a listen and don't forget to like, share and subscribe!

Welcome to episode 3 of our third season of That's so Auburn! I'm joined today – again – by Green River College President Dr. Suzanne Johnson to talk higher education, new initiatives, the changing educational landscape, and so much more.

Dr. Johnson joined Green River College in 2017 and in those 8 years, has been a major driving force in keeping higher education a backbone of the Auburn community. Under her stewardship, Green River College has thrived and continues to be one of the premiere community and technical colleges in the State of Washington. And might I add – it's my daughter and I's alma mater!

We're joined by Vonnie Mayer, the Executive Director of Valley Com 911, who brings nearly 40 years of experience in emergency communications and public safety. She began her career in the late 1980s as one of the first civilian dispatchers at the Angle Lake Fire Department and joined Valley Com 911 in 1993. Known for her people-driven leadership, Vonnie fosters a culture of collaboration, trust, and operational excellence.

As a mentor and advocate, Vonnie prioritizes employee growth, wellness, and resilience, firmly believing that people are the heart of public service. Her unwavering dedication has made her a respected and influential leader in the emergency communications industry. When she's not leading with purpose, she enjoys relaxing with family and friends on Lake Tapps.

There's so much more to Vonnie's journey, so get listening!

And our final episode in our council series is Councilmemers Tracy Taylor and Hanan Amer, two of our newest on the council.

Councilmember Taylor was a 6-time Emmy nominated and Edward R. Murrow TV/Radio Reporter in the Seattle Market for over two decades before transitioning to government work. She now serves as a Communications Coordinator in the City of Kent, bringing her wealth of experience and community-driven spirit to her current role. Tracy's dedication to the community is evident as the former Vice President and current board member of the Seattle Animal Foundation, volunteer and foster family with Hearts for Doxies Dog Rescue, and former City of Auburn Arts Commissioner. In addition to her community service, Tracy is a devoted bonus mom to her 18-year-old daughter and a wife to her husband, Kyle.

Councilmember Amer was born in Oklahoma and raised in Benghazi, Libya. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from Benghazi University and works as an engineer at The Boeing Company. In 2008, Hanan married her husband, who has been a resident of Auburn since the 1990s. They raised their children in this beautiful community, both of whom graduated from Auburn High School. (Go Trojans).

Hanan graduated from the Community Emergency Response Team (or CERT) program in 2014 and is a proud lifelong member of Girl Scouts. In 2023, she was honored with her 35-year volunteer pin as a Girl Scout / Girl Guide and received the Girl Scout honor pin for outstanding service in Girl Scouts of Western Washington. She also earned the Bronze and Gold President's Service Volunteer Awards for her dedication to volunteering with the Girl Scouts and United Way of King County.

Our council conversations continue with Councilmembers Yolanda Trout-Manuel and Kate Baldwin!

Councilmember Trout-Manuel, who served as acting deputy mayor for a portion of last year, began serving on the council in January 2014 and currently represents Auburn on the Sound Cities Association (SCA) Domestic Violence Initiative Regional Task Force, SCA Children and Youth Advisory Board, National League of Cities (NLC) Hispanic Elected Officials (HELO), and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). Councilmember Trout-Manuel also serves on the Auburn Prevention Coalition for the Auburn School District.

Councilmember Baldwin joined the City of Auburn in January 2022 and is in her first term. Councilmember Baldwin is a Senior Advisory Architect who consults on IT Service Management and ServiceNow software for major public and private organizations throughout the PNW and across the United States. She has worked for Milestone Technologies since 2012, going from one of the most junior consultants brought on staff, to becoming both the youngest and first female solution architect within the practice.

We're back! For Season 3 of That's So Auburn! podcast we're interviewing all of the Auburn City Councilmembers, two at a time. Each episode will release a week a part, beginning with today's! Mayor Backus sat down with Deputy Mayor Cheryl Rakes and Councilmember Clinton Taylor to discuss the day to day, what got them into politics, and what keeps them going.

Deputy Mayor Rakes has lived in Auburn since 1960, when her family moved from Bellingham because her father got a job at the fire department. He retired there in 1980 as a captain. Rakes attended Auburn schools and graduated in 1973. She then enrolled in Mr. Lee's Beauty School and Knapp College of Business and took a few classes at Green River College. Cheryl has been serving the Auburn community as Executive Director of the Downtown Auburn Cooperative since 2019, a position she loves as she works directly with small businesses. During the December 16 council meeting, she was elected by her fellow councilmembers to a one-year term as Deputy Mayor. Cheryl has been on the council since early 2023.

Councilmember Clinton Taylor is the Founder and Executive Director of a financial education non-profit serving low-income BIPOC youth and young adults across Puget Sound. A U.S. Army Desert Storm veteran, Clinton holds degrees in Human Development, Organizational Leadership, and Non-Profit Leadership. He serves on the board of JumpStart Washington Coalition and the Washington State Partnership on Juvenile Justice, with prior roles in organizations like the Auburn Public School Foundation and Better People. As a 13-year Auburn resident, Clinton pastors a local non-denominational church and enjoys family time or cheering for the Los Angeles Rams and Oregon Ducks. Clinton joined the council in 2024.