Mary Selecky

WHEREAS, Mary Selecky dedicated her life to improving the health 1
and well-being of the people of Washington State, exhibiting an 2
unwavering commitment to public health and service to others; and3
WHEREAS, Mary Selecky was born and raised in Pennsylvania, where 4
the value of "being of service to someone else" was deeply ingrained 5
in her upbringing, a principle that would guide her throughout her 6
life and career; and 7
WHEREAS, Mary graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with 8
a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science, before moving to 9
the Northwest in the early 1970s, where she permanently settled in 10
Colville, Washington; and 11
WHEREAS, Mary began her service in public health in 1979, when 12
she was appointed Administrator for the Northeast Tri-County Health 13
District in Colville, a role she held for 20 years, working 14
tirelessly to understand all aspects of local health care in Ferry, 15
Pend Oreille, and Stevens Counties; and 16
WHEREAS, In 1998, Governor Gary Locke appointed Mary as the 17
Secretary of Health for the State of Washington, a position 18
originally intended to be temporary. Her leadership was so 19
exceptional that Governor Locke later asked her to remain in the role 20
permanently. She continued to serve as Secretary of Health under 21
Governors Locke, Gregoire, and Inslee, retiring in 2013 after a 22
distinguished 15-year tenure; and 23
SENATE RESOLUTION
8652
By Senators Short, Riccelli, Robinson, and Wagoner
p. 1 8652
WHEREAS, During her career, Mary was a trailblazer in 1
developing public health policies that addressed the unique 2
challenges faced by both urban and rural communities. As 3
Secretary of Health, she prioritized tobacco prevention and 4
control, patient safety, and emergency preparedness, making 5
significant strides in these areas; and 6
WHEREAS, Under her leadership, Washington State achieved a 7
30% reduction in adult smoking rates and a halving of youth 8
smoking rates. She also focused on improving vaccination rates 9
for children and establishing better health partnerships with 10
Canada, emphasizing that "bugs know no borders"; and11
WHEREAS, Mary's leadership was instrumental in making 12
Washington one of the first two state health agencies to receive 13
national accreditation, a testament to the excellence of the 14
public health system she helped shape; and 15
WHEREAS, Mary consistently advocated for rural communities, 16
delivering testimony in Olympia on the challenges faced by 17
public health in rural and geographically expansive areas, and 18
working to ensure that public health, rural hospitals, and 19
healthcare providers received the attention and support they 20
needed; and 21
WHEREAS, Mary helped in state responses to significant 22
public health crises, including mad cow disease, H1N1, and the 23
aftermath of the 2011 Japanese tsunami. She also spearheaded 24
groundbreaking reforms to investigate sexual misconduct 25
complaints more thoroughly and, when necessary, expedite the 26
suspension of licenses; and 27
WHEREAS, Mary made history as the first non-physician health 28
officer elected to serve as President of the Washington State 29
Association of Local Public Health Officials, further 30
solidifying her impact and leadership in public health, and she 31
later served as President of the Association of State and 32
Territorial Health Officials; and 33
WHEREAS, Even after her retirement, Mary continued to serve 34
on various boards, including Providence Health Care for Spokane 35
and Stevens Counties, the NEW Hunger Coalition, the Empire 36
Health Foundation, the National Association of City and County 37
Health Officials, and the Public Health Advisory Board's 38
p. 2 8652
accreditation committee, demonstrating her continued dedication 1
to public health; and 2
WHEREAS, In recognition of her exemplary service, Mary 3
received the American Medical Association's Nathan Davis Award 4
for Outstanding Government Service in 2010 and was awarded the 5
Indiana University Bicentennial Medal in 2019 for her 6
distinguished contributions to public health; 7
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State 8
Senate honor and commend Mary Selecky for her lifetime of 9
service, leadership, and commitment to the health and well-being 10
of our communities. 11
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate, 12
do hereby certify that this is a true and 13
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8652, 14
adopted by the Senate 15
April 25, 2025 16
SARAH BANNISTER 17
Secretary of the Senate 18
p. 3 8652