Ronald Wastewater Commission appoints Richard Matthews to open seat

From Ronald Wastewater

For several years, the Board of Commissioners of Ronald Wastewater District has considered expanding the Board from three to five commissioners.  Under state law, special purpose districts with over 10,000 customers may be governed by a board of up to five commissioners.  Ronald Wastewater District has over 16,000 customers.   In May of 2012, the Board of Commissioners of Ronald Wastewater District voted to expand the number of commissioners from three to five.  A majority of the current commissioners believed that expanding the Board would help the District outreach to and communicate with its rate payers, as well as attend industry, regional utility and community meetings.

The District notified all residential customers of the opportunity to serve and the Board received 21 applications for the new commissioner positions:  4 women and 17 men.  The current Board was impressed with the quality and experience of the 21 applicants.  At a special meeting on July 23, the Board made the difficult decisions to narrow the pool of applicants to 5 finalists.  The current commissioners interviewed the finalists in open meetings on July 23 and July 25.  Chris Eggen, speaking personally and not on behalf of the City of Shoreline, recently complimented Ronald Wastewater District for its open and transparent commissioner selection process.

At the Friday, August 3, 2012 meeting, the Board of Commissioners voted to appoint Richard Matthews to one of the new commissioner positions.  The appointment vote was three in favor with one abstention.

Mr. Matthews, who was born and raised in Shoreline, Washington, has practiced law in the Seattle area since 1973.  His areas of practice are real estate and land development law; business and estate planning and counseling, and corporate finance.  Mr Matthews has served on or chaired several local and and state bar committees.  He is the past president and a Paul Harris Fellow of Shoreline Breakfast Rotary Club; member of the Presbyterian Retirement Communities (PRCN) which owns and operates three CCRCs (continuing care retirement communities); a member of the Inglewood Golf Club; a founding board member and office of Forward Shoreline (a local economic development group); and is an active member of Calvin Presbyterian Church in Shoreline.

Honors and Recognitions

Mr. Matthews was recognized by Seattle Metropolitan Magazine as one of King County’s “Top Lawyers 2010” and “Best Wealth Managers for 2011”.  He has been awarded an “AV” Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell®.  This rating is given to attorneys who demonstrate the highest ethical standards and professional ability.

Shoreline/Local Community Involvement:

Born and raised in Lake Forest Park

Shoreline resident and taxpayer 1989 – present

Founding Member and past President Shoreline Breakfast Rotary

Elected to original Shoreline City Charter Commission (1997)

Board Member (2002 – 2006) and General Counsel for Shoreline Community College Foundation (2008 – present)

Appointed Member City of Shoreline – Economic Development Task Force (2005 – 2007)

Co-Coordinator Civic Campaign for Shoreview Park (obtained county funding and Seattle Mariner – Boeing Grant for new park improvements)

Counsel Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation (2009 – present)

Appointed to City of Shoreline Bond Advisory Committees (2003, 2005 – 2006)

Past President – Richmond Little League

Education

JD, University of Chicago Law School, 1973

Herbert Hatley Lincoln Fellow of the American Judicature Society, 1972-1973

BA, English and Political Science, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, 1970

Bar and Court Admissions

State of Washington

U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington

Professional Associations

Business Law Section, American Bar Association

Urban Law Institute

Downtown Emergency Service Center Board, president and board chair, 1993-1998

Real Property and Probate Section, ABA and Washington State Bar Association

NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties)