Mary Selecky

WHEREAS, Mary Selecky grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, 1
the middle child of seven. Later she attended the University of 2
Pennsylvania, earning degrees in political science and history before 3
moving to Colville, Washington, in 1974; and 4
WHEREAS, Mary immersed herself in rural community life and made 5
her home on the mountainside, often driving for hours after meetings 6
or work to get back home to stargaze and wake up to the mountains; 7
and 8
WHEREAS, In 1978, Mary joined the Northeast Tri-County Health 9
District, eventually becoming its administrator, working tirelessly 10
to understand all facets of local healthcare in Ferry, Pend Oreille, 11
and Stevens Counties; and 12
WHEREAS, Under her leadership, the district operated direct 13
services and population health programs such as disease prevention, 14
environmental health, immunization services, and the Women Infants 15
and Children program; and 16
WHEREAS, She was known around the community as a fierce, fearless 17
advocate for public health, often distributing condoms or a memorable 18
public health anecdote at bars, community events, and meetings; and19
WHEREAS, In the late 1980's Mary was a central figure advocating 20
for the creation of the Washington State Department of Health. She 21
traveled across the state and became well known for her advocacy 22
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2025-4663, by Representatives Jinkins, Engell, and Abell
p. 1 HR 4663
resulting in Governor Booth Gardner creating the Department of Health 1
in 1989; and 2
WHEREAS, In 1998, under Governor Locke, Mary was appointed 3
Secretary of Health, a position she was reappointed to in 2005 under 4
Governor Gregoire and again in 2013 by Governor Inslee; and5
WHEREAS, Her nearly 15 years as Washington's Secretary of Health 6
made her one of the longest-serving state health leaders in the 7
country; and 8
WHEREAS, During her tenure, the Department of Health bolstered 9
its capacity to navigate large-scale public health threats, including 10
flooding, other extreme weather events, bioterrorism, and monitoring 11
radiation caused by the Fukushima disaster; and 12
WHEREAS, Mary helped lead the state's response to the H1N1 13
pandemic, as well as strengthened our state's emergency preparedness 14
systems in response to the 2001 Nisqually earthquake; and15
WHEREAS, She championed smoking cessation, which led to a 16
decrease in the state's smoking rate by 30 percent, and she improved 17
the state's childhood immunization rates from 46th to 16th in the 18
nation; and 19
WHEREAS, Under Mary's leadership, the Department of Health made 20
Washington one of the first states in the nation to achieve Public 21
Health Accreditation; and 22
WHEREAS, Mary's impact and service extended beyond government. 23
She served as president of the Association of State and Territorial 24
Health Officials, on the board of directors for the National 25
Association of City and County Health Officials; and26
WHEREAS, In 2010, the American Medical Association honored her 27
for outstanding government service; and 28
WHEREAS, Upon retirement, Mary kept busy by volunteering her time 29
to her community in Stevens County, serving on the health district's 30
Public Health Advisory Committee and working on statewide issues; and31
WHEREAS, Mary also taught at the University of Washington's 32
School of Public Health and served on countless state boards, 33
including Providence Community Ministry; and 34
WHEREAS, Mary was a fierce champion for the underdog, for 35
communities across our state, and those who were stigmatized. She 36
embraced challenging public health issues, working on HIV/AIDS 37
issues, and promoting communicable disease surveillance and 38
p. 2 HR 4663
protection for every community. She worked hard to ensure that the 1
needs of both rural and eastern Washington communities were 2
addressed; and 3
WHEREAS, Mary's dedication to Washington State is reflected in 38 4
years of service in public health and carried forward in those she 5
worked with, mentored, and inspired, with a focus on the importance 6
of relationships, working with state and local partners, and bringing 7
people together to find solutions to public health issues; and8
WHEREAS, Mary was there with a hug to celebrate the good times, 9
and there to talk through tough times. She loved showcasing the work 10
of public health and was one of its biggest cheerleaders; and11
WHEREAS, Mary's success at building a strong public health system 12
in Washington state is overshadowed only by her building up of people 13
who provide leadership across Washington today and into our future; 14
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the members of the 15
Washington State House of Representatives recognize the legacy of 16
Mary Selecky's service and thank her for her leadership in protecting 17
our state's health. 18
19
I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of20
Resolution 4663 adopted by the House of Representatives21
April 23, 2025 22
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__________________________ 27
Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk 28
p. 3 HR 4663