TACOMA: City's lucky to have Strickland as mayor

As a former mayor of Tacoma, I recognize how fortunate we are to have an extraordinary woman as our current mayor. Marilyn Strickland is extraordinary indeed. Due to her persistent and skillful behind-the-scenes work, the president of China is coming to Tacoma next week. Amazing.

Every American city would enjoy the exposure and prestige that comes with such a high-profile visit. Because of Mayor Strickland, Tacoma won out.

That comes as no surprise. Her entire life has gone against the odds. She was born in South Korea. Her father was an African-American career soldier in the U.S. Army. Her mother was Korean (now a Korean-American). Her parents returned to Fort Lewis when Marilyn was a child. She breezed through school and college and earned an MBA. The rest is history.

She now represents our city wonderfully and is the embodiment of the American dream and the cultural richness of Tacoma and our region. Marilyn is not only well regarded in our city and state, she is recognized among America’s mayors as one of the best and brightest on the national stage. And now she is deserving of notice on the international stage.

Great work, Mayor Strickland.

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 9:21 AM with the headline "TACOMA: City's lucky to have Strickland as mayor."