About John Dean

A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

In 2006, John Dean, 60, of Camano Island,  wrapped up a distinguished 26-year community journalism career with the Stanwood/Camano NEWS where he was editor and associate publisher until announcing his candidacy for the Board of Island County Commissioners, District 3.

Dean and his wife of 19 years, Julie Dean, RNC, live on north Camano. Julie is a nursing supervisor at Skagit Valley Hospital, member of the Stanwood/Camano School District Board of Directors, and a former Camano Island fire fighter and EMT. They have two adult children, Kelly and Scott, a son-in-law, Michael Bowie; and they are proud grandparents of Landon Bowie, born in 2005, and Addison Bowie, born in 2008.

A 30-year Camano resident, Dean graduated from St. Patrick's College Seminary in Mountain View, CA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities with studies in psychology and theology.

His community involvements include serving as:

• a former trustee and president of the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation
• former manager and master of ceremonies for the Stanwood-Camano Community Fair
• former board member of Stanwood Senior Center
• helped to initiate several Stanwood-Camano groups and projects, including community theater, a former Stanwood Boys & Girls Club, Stanwood Mayfest, Housing Hope in Stanwood, and Stanwood-Camano Family Resource Center He has been presented numerous awards from the community, including Stanwood-Camano's 1986 Man of the Year.

He is co-author of "Camano Island: Life and Times in Island Paradise."

In addition to serving as county commissioner, John serves on the board of Island Transit, Island County Board of Health, Opportunity Council Board, Northwest Regional Council Board, Regional Support Network, Council of Governments, Regional Transportation Planning Organization, and is a member of the North Sound Communities Connection Project. He was Chairman of the Island County Board of Commissioners in 2008 and 2009 during the county's challenging, contentious times of reduced revenues and global economic crisis.

He counts among the successes during his first term of office: new mental health program funding, the addition of an emergency services planner for Camano Island, the addition of an economic development facilitator for Camano Island, the purchase of new public shoreline park access on Camano, community-based drafting and county adoption of a new Camano Gateway ordinance for the island's SR 532 commercial corridor, technology upgrades, changes in department management, creation of an Island County Children's Commission, and a balanced county budget that maintains county services deemed essential by community and courthouse staff consensus.

John's Philosophy >>