A Conversation with Auburn City Council Part 1! Councilmembers Cheryl Rakes and Clinton Taylor (Part 1)
Release Date: 03/14/2025
A lifelong legacy at Auburn’s Senior Center
That's So Auburn!
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...
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Talking fire safety, preparedness, with VRFA Chief Brad Thompson
That's So Auburn!
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...
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How Auburn prepares for every emergency under the mountain
That's So Auburn!
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,...
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Meet the Magic Makers: The Women Behind Auburn’s Biggest Events
That's So Auburn!
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...
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Catching up with Green River College President Dr. Suzanne Johnson
That's So Auburn!
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...
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“Never Too Cool for School” with Dr. Alan Spicciati
That's So Auburn!
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Celebrating Public Safety Telecommunicators with a lifelong telecommunicator
That's So Auburn!
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...
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A Conversation with Auburn City Council Part 3! Councilmembers Tracy Taylor and Hanan Amer
That's So Auburn!
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...
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A Conversation with Auburn City Council Part 2! Councilmembers Yolanda Trout-Manuel and Kate Baldwin
That's So Auburn!
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...
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A Conversation with Auburn City Council Part 1! Councilmembers Cheryl Rakes and Clinton Taylor (Part 1)
That's So Auburn!
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...
info_outlineWe'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.