Restoring our national parks isn’t just about creating new jobs — it’s about protecting the existing jobs and small-town economies that currently depend on national parks. More than 8.5 million visitors flock to Washington’s national parks each year, and a variety of people have chosen to settle and start businesses in parks’ gateway communities because they value the quality of life. All told, national park sites generate more than $526 million in economic benefit for Washington. The bottom line: We simply can’t afford to let our national parks fall into further disrepair.

Christine Gregoire is well-known throughout our state, for her career in public service. An advocate for education, jobs and reform, through her role in the state attorney general’s office and governor’s office, Gregoire has a deep passion for the state of Washington and securing its future.

She’s a graduate of the UW, and was the first woman elected to the position of attorney general in the state of Washington where she served for three terms before being elected governor. Since leaving office, Gregoire has stayed involved, chairing the Import-Export Bank Advisory Committee and serving as Chair of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Board.

Currently, she serves as CEO of Challenge Seattle. Formed by some of our region’s business leaders, Challenge Seattle is making our region more vibrant and globally competitive.

A Washington native, Gregoire loves camping, hiking, downhill skiing, and water-skiing. She spent a month visiting national parks with her husband, Mike, after completing her term as governor in Olympia. She has a passion for getting outside, and she passed that along to her two daughters, who’ve both climbed Rainier.