A Navy veteran who is a financial professional with a history of volunteerism and leadership roles wants to be the next mayor of Oak Harbor.
Ronnie Wright will appear on the Aug. 1 primary along with Councilmember Shane Hoffmire, business owner Nick Green and school teacher Craig Nurvic.
Wright has been involved in many local boards and organizations, including the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, but this is his first time running for office. He asked to be appointed to a city council seat last year, but Eric Marshall was chosen instead.
Wright said he feels that city government needs leadership that is “more present” and does a better job of communicating and setting a direction for the community. He emphasized the importance of working as a team both within city government and with other local stakeholders.
“I’m all about bringing bodies to the table,” he said, adding that it’s important to show the people that the city has “a plan for accomplishing things.”
Wright, an accountant and owner of Pacific Grace Tax & Accounting, has a long career devoted to finances, which he said will be a definite asset for a mayor. After his enlistment with the Navy, Wright moved to Oak Harbor, went to college and earned a BA in accounting and then an MBA.
Wright went to work for the IRS after passing a “rigorous” interviewing process. He said he thrived at the challenging job and rose to become a certified instructor and wrote a training curriculum.
“It was the best training I ever had in my life,” he said.
After 10 years working for the federal government, Wright became a managing partner at Pacific Grace and is now the sole owner. He said the business quickly grew under his leadership and he currently has 17 employees.
Since he’s the boss, Wright said, he will be able to dedicate a lot of his time to being mayor, which is designated as a part-time job.
Wright said it’s always been important to him to serve the community. He was both treasurer and president of the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, a member of the board of directors for the Washington State Association of Accountants and Tax Professionals, a member of Rotary and a mentor for JUMP, a juvenile mentoring program through Island County. He currently sits on the board for Steps, formerly known as the Toddler Learning Center.
Wright’s website, ronniewrightformayor.com, has a long list of endorsements, including former mayor Jim Slowik; former council member and state representative Sue Karaholios; Rhonda Severns, the current mayor’s wife and former city employee; County Clerk Debra Van Pelt; police officers; real estate agents; and business people.
Wright said he’s aware of morale problems with city staff and what he sees as difficulties with communication. He’s not a fan of “communicating through Facebook,” he said, and has always had an open-door-policy style of leadership. He said he doesn’t have plans for changes in the administration but will make his own assessments once he’s in office.
As mayor, Wright said he would focus on improving the marina; rebuilding a partnership with the Navy; ensuring the sewage treatment plant is working at capacity; and working with county and state officials to address homelessness in the city.
