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.

Rep. Eric Robertson

Representative Eric Robertson

Rep. Eric Robertson was raised in Buckley. He attended the White River Schools from kindergarten through his high school graduation and attended Green River Community College and City University. He started his career with the Washington State Patrol in 1983.

Eric is no stranger to public service. He was first elected to the state House of Representatives to represent the 31st District in 1994. During this time in the Legislature, he was appointed assistant majority whip during his first term and elected the majority caucus chairman during his second term. He served on the Transportation, Judiciary, Agriculture and Ecology, and Rules committees. He was a champion for government accountability, reform, and lower taxes. He still holds these ideals and values as he continues this next chapter as a state representative.

In 1998, Eric left the Legislature returning to serve the citizens of Washington State full-time with the Washington State Patrol, achieving the rank of Captain. He was the director of Government & Media Relations and commander of the Office of Professional Standards. In 1999, he graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) National Academy in Quantico, VA. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed him the United States Marshal for Western Washington. He was responsible for the federal courthouse and judicial security and law enforcement teams for bringing fugitives and sex offenders to justice.

After serving as a U.S. Marshal, Eric led the team that formed the first regional fire authority in the state as the administrator. They created a model for regionalizing the state’s fire, emergency, and rescue services.  He was also an active member and chairman of the legislative committee of the Washington Fire Chiefs Association, promoting statewide public policy for the regionalization of fire services and fire/EMS safety issues.

Eric is currently serving as the ranking member of the Consumer Protection and Business Committee, the assistant ranking member of the Transportation Committee, and the assistant ranking member of the Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee.

Throughout his life and career, he has proudly served his communities in law enforcement, the Legislature, and various service organizations. He lives in Sumner, is the proud father of five, and enjoys his nine grandchildren.