In the early
1980s I purchased property in Chelan and quickly began setting a course
to relocate to the Lake Chelan Valley from Auburn, where I was raised.
My dream to call Chelan home became a reality almost twenty years ago.
My interest in
community involvement was sparked soon after my move. I was elected to
the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce board of directors in 1996 and
served until 1999. In 1999 I was appointed co-chair of the Chelan
County Centennial Celebration Committee and had the honor of serving
with Gene Sharratt and Esther Stefaniw for the year-long celebration.
In 1998 I joined the Rotary Club of Chelan and was elected president of
the club in 2000.
My public
service began with election to the City of Chelan Council in 1999 and
continued through my term as mayor. I was a member of the
Chelan-Douglas Board of Health; chairman in 2007. It was during my time
as mayor that my involvement in county and regional issues increased.
Cooperation and communication among all levels of government is vital
to its efficient use of tax payer dollars.
My wife Jennifer
and I were married in 2005, though I’ve felt part of the family for much
longer. The families of my in-laws, Herold and Vicki (Armbruster)
Peebles, have resided in the Chelan/Manson area for generations.
Jennifer’s brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Sarah Peebles, live in
Wenatchee with our dazzling, red-haired niece named Elizabeth (Ellie)
and her new little brother, Merritt. It’s through my father-in-law that
I’ve learned a about the agriculture industry.
As a small
business owner I fortunately had the flexibility to relocate my sign
business to Chelan when I moved in the early 1990s. I operated
Positive Signs in Chelan until 2005. During that time I also
enjoyed operating many other small businesses in the community.
Over the past
few years I’ve opened business in locations exhibiting various levels of
distress. I was especially proud of the work my wife and I did at the
intersection of Woodin and Saunders, Chelan’s stoplight intersection.
We took a vacated building in a key site and returned it to a level of
productivity and pride fitting of its location. We are currently
working on a vacated grocery store in downtown Pateros. Renovations
have already occurred for the opening of two tenants, and more are
expected over the next one-two years.
“About Jay”
wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the great friends we’ve made.
It’s the exceptional people of Chelan County that really make this a
great place to live. My job as an elected public servant is to make
sure the County continues to reflect the values and priorities of its
citizenry.
