WA HR4663

Washington State House of Representatives formally recognizes Mary Selecky's 38 years of public health service, including nearly 15 years as Secretary of Health under Governors Locke, Gregoire, and Inslee (1998-2013), making her one of the longest-serving state health leaders in the nation

Selecky was a central advocate in the late 1980s for creating the Washington State Department of Health, which Governor Booth Gardner established in 1989

Under her leadership, Washington's smoking rate decreased by 30 percent and childhood immunization rankings improved from 46th to 16th nationally, while the state became one of the first to achieve Public Health Accreditation

Selecky led state responses to major public health emergencies including the H1N1 pandemic, 2001 Nisqually earthquake, and radiation monitoring during the Fukushima disaster

Resolution adopted April 23, 2025, sponsored by Representatives Jinkins, Engell, and Abell