Discover Mukilteo talks with newly elected Mukilteo Mayor, Joe Marine. Joe was a member of Mukilteo City Council from 1998-2000 then from 2020-21. In 2001, he was WA State Representative of the 21st District. He previously held the position of Mukilteo Mayor from 2006-13.
DM: How did you get started in politics?
JM: When We moved to Mukilteo in 1996, I knew we would be raising our family here, so I joined the Mukilteo Business association (this was before the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce) and the Mukilteo YMCA Board (this was before we had a YMCA building). I then decided to run for the Mukilteo City Council in 1997.
DM: Who inspired you to take this path?
JM: I met Linda Murray at the Business association and she inspired me to run for the Council.
DM: Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of and why?
JM: I would have to say the new Rosehill Community center is my proudest accomplishment because it plays such an important role in our community and because it was such a long and hard-fought battle to get it done.
DM: What is your favorite place to visit in Mukilteo and why?
JM: The lighthouse and the waterfront would be the obvious answer of course however We spend a lot of nights eating at Sabor a Mexico. The staff is like family, and I always run into friends there.
DM: Do you have a favorite book, website, or podcast, and why?
JM: Almost anything written by John C. Maxwell one example is “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”. One of my favorite Maxwell quotes is “sometimes you win and sometimes you learn”. You never lose unless you didn’t learn from the experience.
DM: If you could have dinner with someone (alive or dead, real or fictional), who would it be and why?
JM: 1st choice would be Jesus Christ. I know we are supposed walk by faith but what better dinner companion could you have?
DM: Do you have a favorite food? If so, what?
JM: Chicken or Salmon.
DM: What do you think surprises people about you?
JM: Probably the fact that a grew up in a small fishing village in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.
DM: What was the biggest challenge you face as Mayor during these uncertain times?
JM: Getting all of us to have compassion, trust, patience, and certainly understanding of others with different viewpoints.
Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival 2021