About Tom

Camano Island resident and life time Washingtonian, Tom Riggs is a working class, 40 year old husband, father, and Sunday school teacher.   He has been married to his wife, Heather for 17 years, and their children, Aelric and Gwen, attend public schools in the Stanwood-Camano school district.  Tom’s parents are Maria and Don Riggs, whom longtime KMPS listeners will recognize from the morning show.  Tom’s brother and his sister-in-law are both public school teachers.

Education/Career

Tom got his Bachelor’s Degree from Central Washington University, and now serves his fellow citizens as a Washington State Park Ranger.  In the last 18 years, he has served in various parks around Washington, and has served on agency committees including chairing both the Law Enforcement Committee and Public Safety Team where he authored  changes to the Washington Administrate Code.  For the past 6 years, Tom has been the manager of Camano Island State Park, and the assistant area manager for Cama Beach, where Tom serves as the park representative on the board of the Camano Island Chamber of Commerce.  Tom is a proud, card-carrying member of AFSCME/WFSE Local 1466

(State Parks Tom has worked at:  Lake Sammamish, Olmstead Place,

Ginkgo/Wanapum, Olallie, Illahee, and Camano Island/Cama Beach)

Tom’s choice of career came out of his love of the regular camping trips that his family would take on weekends.  He has always seen his job as a Park Ranger as a way to help other people recreate and reconnect with nature and with one another.

Service

Tom’s passion for community and the environment shows in his volunteer service.  His recent projects include:  The WSU Extension Waste Wise program, adopt-a-road community litter pickup, and the new Camano Island Rotary Adventure Playground build.  He also teaches his son’s middle school Sunday School class and has led them in several community service projects, such as harvesting apples for the Stanwood/Camano Food Bank, and helping to prepare and serve free meals at the Gathering Place.



Politics

Realizing that democracy requires active participation, Tom is a familiar face at Camano Island Democrats and Island County Democrats meetings.  Tom served as a delegate to the Washington State Democratic Convention in 2008, and was appointed as Island County State Committeeman in 2010.  That same year, the Island County Democrats asked Tom to consider running for the office of State Representative.  Despite entering the race late, and being greatly outspent by a multi-term incumbent, Tom still earned the support of 42% of the voters in the 2010 General Election.

Faith

Tom’s faith is an important part of his life.  He is a Christian, and a member of Camano Lutheran Church.  He actively lives his faith as a member the praise team, a Sunday School teacher, and serving as the Chair of the Mission Benevolence Team, which distributes a portion of the church offerings to worthy charitable causes.  While Tom believes the separation of church and state benefits both the state and the church, Christ’s message of treating our neighbor justly, caring for the less fortunate, and respect for God’s creation has certainly influenced Tom’s decision to seek public office.

Home

Tom and his family live on a 5 acre hobby farm, which they try to work in a sustainable fashion.  They have a flock of backyard chickens, several cats, a small orchard, a vegetable garden, and have bred  American Guinea Hogs, a critically endangered breed of heritage pigs.