Vice President for Research, Washington Policy Center
Paul Guppy is a graduate of Seattle University and holds Masters Degrees in political science from Claremont Graduate University and the London School of Economics. Paul has 12 years of staff service in the U.S. Congress, including work as a Chief of Staff and Legislative Director. He joined the Washington Policy Center in 1998 to run its research program. He is the author of numerous Policy Center studies on taxes, labor policy, public financing and health care reform. He is editor of The Policy Guide to Washington State, and a member of the King County Citizens Election Oversight Committee. He is a frequent commentator on radio and TV news programs, and writes columns on public policy that appear periodically in newspapers across the state.
Associate Professor of Law, Seattle University
Professor Kahng joined the faculty at Seattle University in 2001. Prior to coming to the Pacific Northwest, she taught tax law at Cornell Law School and New York University School of Law. Professor Kahng has served as attorney advisor in the Office of Tax Legislative Counsel in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Formerly, she was a vice president at Salomon Brothers in New York City, specializing in tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, and an associate with the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Professor Kahng was awarded a bachelors of arts from Princeton University, a juris doctorate from Columbia University School of Law, and a master of laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law.
Vice Chair, Washington Mutual, Inc.
William (Bill) A. Longbrake is vice chair of Washington Mutual, Inc. Mr. Longbrake began his career in Washington, D.C., where he served in various positions for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC).
Mr. Longbrake holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the College of Wooster, and master's degrees in monetary economics and business administration from the University of Wisconsin. He was awarded a doctorate in finance by the University of Maryland. Currently, he is a member of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors for Washington State and the University of Washington Business School Advisory Board.
President, Bellevue Education Association
Since 2004, Stephen Miller has served as President to the 1,200 members of the Bellevue Education Association. Additionally, he is a member of the Washington Education Association Board of Directors.
For 11 years, Mr. Miller taught social studies courses to middle and high school students in private schools and the Bellevue School District. Born and raised in the Puget Sound area, he has Undergraduate degrees in Economics and History from UC Berkeley and a Masters in Arts and Teaching from Lewis and Clark College.
Senator Rockefeller is serving his first term in the Senate representing the 23rd District, and previously served two full terms in the House of Representatives. The Senator retired from the U.S. Department of Education in 1994. He also served as Education Aide to Governor John Spellman; and as a Legislative Assistant, U.S. House of Representatives. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School.
Senator Rockefeller is the chair of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, and has been a member of JLARC since 1999. The Senator also serves as chair of the Senate Water, Energy & Telecommunications Committee, and is a member of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, the Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee, Capital Projects Advisory Review Board (CPARB), Council of State Governments-West Western Water and Environment Committee, Joint Subcommittee on the Statutory Duties of the State Board of Education, National Conference of State Legislatures Clean Energy and Air Quality Working Group, National Conference of State Legislatures Environment and Natural Resources Committee, Puget Sound Partnership, and the Statute Law Committee.
Now in his fourth term, Brian Sonntag has served the citizens of Washington as State Auditor since 1993. He is the state’s eighth elected State Auditor. Mr. Sonntag’s long career in public service began in 1978, when he was elected Pierce County Clerk. He served eight years in office before twice being elected Pierce County Auditor, an office he held until his election as State Auditor. Mr. Sonntag holds the National Association of Government Accountant’s professional certification as a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), recognizing him as an expert in financial management. He attended Tacoma Community College and the University of Puget Sound, and has completed a graduate program for government officials at the University of Washington’s School of Public Affairs.
Mr. Sonntag has received the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Freedoms Light Award for his achievements and commitment to open government, and the Municipal League of King County's Warren G. Magnuson Memorial Award for his contributions to helping improve local government operations. He belongs to several state and national organizations including the Performance Audit Task Force of the National State Auditor’s Association, the National Association of State Auditors Comptrollers and Treasurers, the Washington Finance Officers Association, and the Pacific Northwest License, Tax and Fraud Association.