New Faces on Key Peninsula Community Council

Carolyn Wiley, KP News

Community Council members, from left to right, Jeremy Larcom, Kristen Auguztiny, Constance Harris, Matthew Dean. Photo: Don Tjossem, KP News

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, the seven open seats on the Key Peninsula Community Council (KPC) were filled. From a roster of 12 applicants, four incumbents and three new directors joined the council. Each will serve a two-year term.

The KPC, established in 2004, is a nonprofit organization created to maintain and improve the quality of life on the Key Peninsula. Council directors come from four areas, based on census tracts, with up to four directors from each area based on population. There are currently 15 directors, with four from Areas 1, 2 and 3, and three from Area 4.

Ideals of community service and the desire to assure the future of the community were common to all applicants for the positions. Four incumbents were reelected.

Area 1: Chuck West, KP Council president; Leona Lisa, Farm Council vice president.

Area 2: Jeremiah Saucier, with a primary concern on health and wellness issues.

Area 3: Jeremy Larcom, who has a background in finance and mass media.

The three new faces on the Key Peninsula Community Council are:

Area 2: Matthew Dean. Dean will be the youngest person serving on the council. He and his family moved to the Peninsula in 2015. He and his sister were homeschooled and were active in the homeschool community of the greater Gig Harbor area. He attended Olympic College in Bremerton as a high school senior under the Running Start program, and received his associate degree in 2017. He has been a regular contributor to the KP News, has worked at the Food Market in Key Center and now is employed at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

Dean states that although he has a lot to learn, he wants to pay back to the community. He said, “Personally, it gives me a chance to contribute to a wonderful community. I recognize that we have something very special out here: People on the Key Peninsula care about where they live and what happens to it. People come together to support each other when things are bad, and they come together to celebrate when things are good. Lots of places have a good sense of community, but I don’t think there are very many places that have so many people actively working to improve their home. To be a part of that is a great honor for me.”

Area 3: Constance Harris. Harris identifies her greatest concerns for the future development as transportation, health and hunger. Harris was involved in organizing the Blue Grass Festival and in local food banks. She said, “Since moving to the Peninsula in 2000, I have observed the growth of our community and desire to assist with these mounting issues.”

Area 4: Kristen Auguztiny. Auguztiny moved to the Peninsula from Stanwood/Arlington nearly three years ago. Prior to moving to Lakebay, she owned an insurance agency, was active in the Arlington/Smokey Point Chamber of Commerce, and served on several committees for the City of Arlington and the Stanwood/Camano School District. Since arriving she has been active in developing a neighborhood watch group in the Tiedeman area and has provided support for other neighborhoods wishing to organize crime prevention groups.

Auguztiny said, “These experiences showed me first-hand how a group of capable, dedicated citizens can direct change in their communities and brought me great pleasure to be part of seeing those needed changes happen. I understand that any community is only as good as its citizens and the more effort we all put into our communities. the better they get.”

Meetings are open to the public, on the second Wednesday of each month at the Key Center Fire Station. For more information see the website at kpcouncil.org.

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