Fresh faces on the planning commission

Elizabeth Callaghan Stanwood welcomed two new planning commissioners to its city ranks last week.

Mayor Dianne White selected Elizabeth Callaghan and Jeff Laycock from a pool of four applicants and recommended them to city council, which unanimously approved their appointment.

Callaghan is 22 years old and moved to Stanwood last summer. She graduated from Grace Academy in 2005 and attended Kansas Central Christian College on a partial golf scholarship.

“It’s a small school,” she said, “but it’s my only bragging rights in life regarding golf.”

Callaghan will graduate from Seattle Pacific University this spring, with a Bachelor of Arts in history and elementary teaching certification.

She recently finished her student teaching and currently substitutes in the Mukilteo School District.

Callaghan wants to make Stanwood her home and said she couldn’t see herself living anywhere else. She’s interested, though, why other people her age aren’t looking at Stanwood as a place to live.

Jeff Laycock “Why don’t we want to spend the afternoon in Stanwood?” Callaghan asked.

She believes the answer lies in planning.

“We need to figure out what kind of businesses we want to attract,” she said. Also, “what can we as a community bring together to make people want to come see us?”

Laycock, 30, has lived in Copper Station for two years with his wife, Diana, and 18-month-old son, Kale.

Laycock grew up in Marysville, and graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering.

He worked as a consultant engineer for RH2 Engineering’s Port Orchard satellite office before relocating to Stanwood. Currently, Laycock is a project engineer for the city of Marysville.

He said he likes serving the city he grew up in, and the planning commission represents an opportunity to serve the city he lives in now.

“I have no underlying purpose but to serve the community well. I want to be a part of making decisions that will support Stanwood and help it prosper,” Laycock said.

Staff Reporter Jeremiah O’Hagan: 629-8066 ext. 125 or ohagan@scnews. com.