About Patricia Terry
Patricia J. Terry was born in Tacoma,
WA and spent her first few years of life on a dairy farm near
Sunnyside, WA. Her family moved to Pendleton in eastern Oregon
when she was 4 years old. Patricia later spent her high school
years in North Bend, OR. Patricia worked her way through nursing
school at the University of Oregon School of Nursing in Portland,
OR where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977.
An interest in the public policy side of healthcare led Patricia
to earn a Master of Public Administration degree from Seattle
University in 2005. Patricia and her husband, Michael Cooney,
live on Camano Island in Washington State.
- Patricia had lived on Camano Island a few short months when she heard the Island County Community Health Advisory Board (CHAB) needed a representative from Camano. She was accepted by approval of the Board of Health in 2006, served as CHAB’s chair in 2009, and was reappointed for another 3 year term in 2010.
- Patricia became politically active upon arrival to Camano Island and worked on both local and regional political races in 2006. She went doorbelling for Commissioner John Dean, stuffed envelopes for Treasurer Linda Riffe, did health policy analysis for candidate Tim Knue and has been an active member of the Camano Island Democrats, Whidbey Island Democrats, and the 10th Legislative District Democrats. Patricia has also been an activist with the Washington Environmental Voters, NARAL/ Planned Parenthood, and Washington Education Voters to name a few.
- Patricia ran for State Representative in the 10th Legislative District against then 3-term incumbent Barbara Bailey. Patricia won a contested primary in August and went on to the general election in November 2008. Although she did not prevail in this race, she earned the trust, confidence, and vote of nearly 30,000 voters in Island, Snohomish, and Skagit counties
- In December 2009, when Patricia learned that the Island County Clerk was leaving her term early, she responded to the call of her party for those who wished to be considered for the position. The Island County Democratic Central Committee forwarded her name (and two others) to the Island County Board of Commissioners. On Dec. 2, 2009 during a public hearing, Patricia was awarded the position by unanimous vote of the board. Patricia started her work as the current County Clerk on Dec. 16, 2009.
- Trained as a first-responder in the
Stanwood-Camano Fire Department's Community Emergency Response
Team (CERT) program;
- An active member of the Island, Snohomish, and Skagit County Democrats, Patricia has volunteered to do everything from health policy analysis to stuffing envelopes and doorbelling;
- Patricia was an activist through her
church's Peace Covenant Committee during the nuclear proliferation
of the 1980's
- Volunteered for US Congressman Les
Aucoin, Oregon (D) late 1970's;
- The "Vote 19" campaign of
the late 1960's gave young activists such as Patricia Terry
an early start at grassroots politics. "19" was
the average age of soldiers in Viet Nam, who were considered
old enough to be sent to war, but not old enough to vote.
Imagine the glee of the movement when in 1971, the 26th
Amendment lowered the voting age to 18, an additional year
younger than the campaign's objective!
Patricia Terry's career as a professional nurse (RN) includes:
- 15 years as an intensive care nurse;
- Deputy Health Officer for the
County of Los Angeles:
- Trained in investigative techniques;
- Trained in regulation interpretation;
- Served as an expert witness in court actions;
- Investigation reports of extraordinary quality; ultimately became training materials;
- One of only 25% to pass the national qualifications exam for Medicare surveyors on first try
- Coordinated fraud investigations on behalf of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries;
- Worked with the Federal Bureau of investigation and the Office of the Inspector General on a multi-state fraud investigation;
- Manager for two federally designated Quality Improvement Organizations performing 3rd party oversight. Included contract work for the WA and OR States and on behalf of the Department of Defense.
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