Friends, neighbors—

This weekend, on Saturday, March 23, please join me for town halls in Bremerton, Gig Harbor and Vaughn!

Let us know if you can make it to one of the events by clicking on the links below:

You can see more information on the town halls here.

Strong women at the Legislature

One of the friendliest faces at the Legislature belongs to Airy’l Simon. If you go through the line in the Senate dining room, you’ll see her behind the counter, greeting every senator by first name. “My favorite part of being here is customer service, interacting with everyone who comes through,” Airy’l says. “I like to make things a little more personable and make the senators feel like regular people.”

Airy’l is just as much at home in the Senate as anyone coming through the line. She’s been the sous chef in the Senate dining room for seven years. She works alongside an all-female staff, as does her mom, Kerri, who’s been with the Senate for 24 years as executive chef—longer than any currently serving senator.

Born and raised in Olympia, Airy’l started helping at her parents’ restaurant when she was five. “I would stand on a milk crate and could just reach the sink,” she said. She knew that restaurant front and back. These days, her parents have a new restaurant in Tumwater, named after her father, Jean-Pierre. Airy’l works there five nights a week as executive sous chef in addition to her time here. 

In between those jobs, she’s pursuing her passion: welding. Airy’l is an experienced welder whose eyes light up when she describes a few of the projects she’s produced: the wolf from Jack London’s classic novel White Fang, a metal rose made from the tin that welding rods come in, or a sign she made with her family’s name on it.

Three times a week, Airy’l heads off to South Puget Sound Community College, where she has just three more quarters until she receives her Associate in Applied Science in Welding Technology. During interims, she works making furniture for schools, and she has a vision for her career once she finishes her education. She’s going to learn about structural engineering, and build even bigger things—buildings, cars, bridges. What she loves about working in metal, she says, is: “the stuff that I make now will last practically forever.”

Airy’l remembers that when he was lieutenant governor, Brad Owen used to come to the Senate dining room and sit down with her. He’d tell her, “Your time is worth much more than you think it is; you’re smarter than you think you are—always think about what you want to accomplish.” Airy’l is thinking about that as she works toward her degree and the life that she wants to give her 18-month-old daughter, Ashyr. “She’s the reason I’m going to school and working,” says Airy’l. “I’m lucky to have my family there to support me, especially my sister Sky. It’s hard sometimes when I’m not there to put Ashyr into bed, but she’s why I get up in the mornings.” That devotion is just one of the reasons we’re lucky to have Airy’l here!

My week in Olympia

I believe in transparency, and I want to keep you all informed about what I’m doing on behalf of the 26th District in Olympia. That’s why I’m making a practice of posting my legislative calendar each week on my Facebook page.

Keep in touch

We are all eager to hear from you about your priorities. I hope you’ll follow me on Facebook so you can see what we’re up to. And please feel free to reach out anytime at 360-786-7650 or Emily.Randall@leg.wa.gov. The more we hear from you, the better our work in Olympia can reflect our shared values and goals.

All my best,