Economic Development Committee interviews six applicants, recommends appointments to City Events and Recognitions Committee

Tacoma’s Economic Development Committee on June 10 interviewed six applicants for the City Events and Recognitions Committee and moved to recommend multiple appointments and two reappointments to the full City Council.

City Clerk Nicole Embree opened the session by explaining the interview format: each applicant had three minutes to present, followed by roughly five minutes of questions from committee members. Embree said staff requested the committee consider reappointments based on applicants’ prior service and updated applications in the meeting packet.

The interviews centered on applicants’ event-planning experience, networks for sponsorship and outreach, and commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. Applicants included Janet Fiswell, Nathan Donald, Joseph Eubanks, Talia (last name not specified in the record), Sydney Stevens and Ty Lianbo. Several committee members emphasized the committee’s need for sponsorship and marketing experience, youth representation, and members who can do active outreach and nomination work for the city’s awards program.

Janet Fiswell described long experience in recreation and event coordination and gave the Turkey Trot she started as an example: “I coordinated with the city, with the permitting process, with the police department ... that grew up to about 2,200 participants,” she said. Nathan Donald cited more than 20 years working in live-music venues and described organizing benefit festivals; he said his network of performers and production people helped with logistics and volunteer coordination. Joseph Eubanks emphasized experience in diversity, equity and…