City Council
City Council Members
I consider myself a third generation Montesanoan. I was raised in Montesano, attended schools and graduated in 1980. My first 10 years of employment were spent as an automotive mechanic/machinist, then the next 18 years as lab technician in pulp mill. After a plant closure I attended college in Centralia and graduated in 2008 with a ATA in Civil Engineering. I am currently a carpenter/home builder. I feel my unique experience enables me to carryout my passion which is improving our parks, streets, and sidewalks.My vision for the future of Montesano is to preserve our character while keeping great schools and excellent police and fire departments.Email: Dskaramuca@montesano.us
For 30 years I served as the Montesano Library Manager. I oversaw projects and annual budgets of $100,000+, and supervised three employees and various volunteers. My objective as the manager was to make our library friendly, efficient, and customer-centered with our services based on the needs of our community. I carry these values forward in my work on the city council.
I worked on Timberland Regional Library committees of all different types with widely varying personalities and opinions. I made sure I looked objectively at all possible solutions. In the end, more often than not, collaboration brought forward the best answers to problems. I bring this perspective to my work on the city council.
I have served on several nonprofit boards over the years that benefit our town. I am currently on the board of the Community Center which administers the Senior Lunch Program and delivers meals to the homebound.
There are many exciting challenges before the council right now. Helping local businesses survive and thrive is of major importance. We should continue revitalizing our downtown and bringing in tourist dollars. Festivals and the Saturday Farmer’s Market are great examples of this. I hope to be an advocate for positive change as we strive to make our friendly and prosperous small town even better..jpg)
Dawn Thomas with her husband Chris knew that Montesano was a unique and special place to live and wanted to raise their family here. Dawn believes in citizen involvement and government transparency and knows the importance of working together to make a community the best it can be. Her continued goals are to support the ongoing revitalization projects, critical infrastructure, public safety, supporting our local businesses and the arts.
Local Volunteer and Civic Involvement:
City of Montesano Planning Commission (Commissioner), GH YMCA Youth & Government Advisor, Montesano Co Op Preschool Board Member, Montesano Festival of People & Festival of Lights (Board Member and Volunteer), Montesano Class of 2020/2021 (Parent Volunteer)
Education: Washington State Teaching Certification, B.A.Communications & Humanities, A.A. in The Arts & Design.
Employment: Currently serving as an Executive Legislative Assistant with the WA State Legislature.
Email: Dthomas@montesano.us