Mirror welcomes new editorial board members | Publisher’s Note

In December, we asked for submissions from the public to join the Mirror’s Editorial Board. This year we have three expiring seats that opened due to term limits.

By Rudi Alcott • March 12, 2015 8:48 pm
Outgoing Mirror Editorial Board members Don Hyun (left) and Bob Case (right) with publisher Rudi Alcott.
Outgoing Mirror Editorial Board members Don Hyun (left) and Bob Case (right) with publisher Rudi Alcott.

In December, we asked for submissions from the public to join the Mirror’s Editorial Board. This year we have three expiring seats that opened due to term limits.

Leaving the board are Bob Case, Don Hyun and Joann Tornow. We thank these board members for their service and commitment to the Federal Way community.

During the submission process there were a number of community advocates who applied. This number was narrowed down to five and these five met with the board for additional questions and comments. In February, the board selected the three finalists. These three new members will serve two-year terms beginning March 3.

The newest board members are:

• Bruce Biermann: Beirmann has deep roots with Federal Way. Two sons have gone through Green Gables, Lakota and Decatur. Another son is now in Federal Way Public Academy. Biermann has a special interest in issues such as education, public safety and fiscal responsibility.

Although he does not like talking about himself, he graduated from Wharton (business school) and Seattle University (law school) and has had a variety of careers with PriceWaterhouse (accounting), Merrill Lynch (investments), startups and turnaround situations (various) and with Microsoft. He currently serves on eight corporate boards and four non-profit boards. Biermann looks forward to doing what he can to help Federal Way become a better place to live.

• John Jarstad, M.D.: Jarstad is a Seattle-Tacoma native, whose very first job was working at the Federal Way Ski Hut in the 1970s. He’s a graduate of Brigham Young University, University of Washington Medical School and Mayo Clinic. He is a medical school professor and a board certified eye surgeon. As the founder and CEO of Evergreen Eye Center of Federal Way since 1989, Jarstad is the inventor of several instruments for eye surgery. He is married to Patricia and all four of their children graduated from Federal Way High School.

• Karen Feldt: Feldt has been a Federal Way resident for 45 years. With her husband, Bill, she raised her family and built her home in Federal Way. All of her children attended Federal Way schools.

As a small business owner, she started Uniglobe Select Travel and grew the business for 18 years to a staff of 15 and annual sales of over $9 million. Now retired, she serves as a Rotarian in her spare time and has the distinction of being the second woman to be invited to the Federal Way Rotary in 1987.

Contact the Mirror’s Editorial Board at editorialboard@federalwaymirror.com.