Our ex-officios

Learn about our current Ex-Officios, who are elected officials serving in a non-voting capacity for the WSGC.

Photo of Senator Steve Conway

Senator Steve Conway

Having served the 29th District as a State Representative for 18 years, Sen. Conway is now the Democratic senator for the Pierce County district that includes South Tacoma, East Lakewood and Parkland.

In addition to serving in a leadership role as the Vice President Pro Tempore, he is a member of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee and also serves on the Senate Ways & Means and Health & Long Term Care committees.

He is a graduate of the University of Oregon, with a Master’s degree in history and a Doctorate in Philosophy. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at the London School of Economics.

Sen. Conway recently retired as a business agent for the United Food and Commercial Worker’s Union, Local 81. He and his wife Georgia have two sons; Levin (wife Diana) and Collin, as well as two granddaughters.

Photo of Senator Jeff Holy

Senator Jeff Holy

Senator Jeff Holy has lived in the Spokane area for over 35 years with his wife, Cindy, and their two children. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Washington State University while serving in the Army and Army National Guard to pay for school. After graduation, Senator Holy began a 22 year career with the Spokane Police Department as an officer and detective. During this time, he attended Gonzaga University School of Law, where he earned his juris doctorate and was admitted to the Washington State Bar. He has practiced law over 20 years, offering free legal services to those less fortunate along the way.

Senator Holy has served his community through Little League, the Catholic Parish Council and Spokane Deaf Services.

His experiences on both sides of the law gives Senator Holy a unique perspective as a legislator. He has served the 6th District in the Legislature since 2013 and has been an active voice on public safety issues. He currently serves on the Sunshine Committee and the Civil Legal Aid Oversight Committee. He also serves on the board of directors for LEOFF II, the retirement plan for Washington state law enforcement officers and firefighters.

Senator Holy serves on the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, and Law and Justice Committee.

Photo of Representative Shelley Kloba

Representative Shelley Kloba

A longtime resident of Kirkland, Representative Shelley Kloba’s journey to the state legislature started as a parent advocate for a public education system that truly meets the needs of our children and communities.

While holding various advocacy roles in her local PTAs, Representative Kloba gained invaluable experience working with policy makers to bring about meaningful change. This inspired Representative Kloba to get more involved in her community, serving a four-year term on the Kirkland Park Board, volunteering on park and school bond and levy committees, and serving as a trustee for the Lake Washington Schools Foundation. In 2011, she was elected to serve as the Washington State PTA Legislative Director. These experiences led to a desire to be a policy maker. She was appointed then elected to the Kirkland City Council, serving from 2013 to 2016. On the Council, Representative Kloba stood for a responsible and responsive budget that made key investments to maintain Kirkland’s high quality of life while planning for the region’s future.

While serving as a councilmember, Representative Kloba was actively involved in supporting kids and families on the Eastside Human Services Forum, the King County Domestic Violence Initiative, the King County Cities Climate Collaboration, and the King County Board of Health.

In November 2016, Representative Kloba was elected to her first term in the State House of Representatives, where she now serves as vice-chair of the Innovation, Technology, and Economic Development Committee as well as serving on the Transportation and Commerce & Gaming committees.  Areas of interest include data privacy, energy policy, multi-modal transportation, special education, behavioral health, cannabis policy and research, and problem gambling.

Photo of Skyler Rude

Representative Skyler Rude

Skyler was born, raised and educated in Walla Walla, and has spent his adulthood finding ways to serve his community. Beginning in 2015, he worked as 16th District Senator Maureen Walsh's legislative assistant.

In 2019, he was sworn in as state representative for the 16th Legislative District, which includes all of Walla Walla and parts of Benton and Franklin counties. 

Previous to his time in the Legislature, Skyler was a personal property and casualty insurance agent. Skyler is currently a Realtor in Walla Walla.

Bipartisanship and collaboration within the Legislature has been a theme for Skyler's work, and one of his reasons he ran for office. In his first year, he co-founded a bipartisan work group to facilitate an opportunity for legislators to work together and build relationships.

In addition to his standing legislative committee assignments, Skyler serves on the following bipartisan/non-partisan committees and boards: Vice Chair of the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program CommitteeJoint Higher Education Committee, the Capitol Furnishings Preservation Committee, the Gambling Commission, the LGBTQ Commission, the Columbia Basin College EMS Program Advisory Committee, the Washington State Leadership Board, Blue Mountain Action Council board of directors, and the National Conference of State Legislature's Nuclear Legislative Working Group.

In his spare time, he enjoys camping, road trips, floating the Walla Walla River, and working on a 1910's farm wagon restoration project.