Amber Waldref

A candidate for Spokane City Council District 1, City of Spokane in the 2013 Nov. 5 Washington General Election

Party: Democratic

Age: 46

City: Spokane, Washington

Education: Went to Gonzaga Preparatory School. Majored in sociology and English at Georgetown University. Has a master's degree in environment and community from Antioch University Seattle. 

Political experience: Served on Spokane City Council from 2010-2017. Served as a Democratic precinct committee officer. Has been appointed to multiple boards, including the Spokane Housing Authority Board and the Washington State Governor’s 2020 Census Committee.

Work experience: Director of The Zone, a northeast Spokane initiative focused on improving education and battling poverty. Worked with Urbanova, a public-private partnership based in the University District that strives to improve public services. Former development director of The Lands Council, a conservation organization. Former field director of Heart of America Northwest, where she focused on environmental cleanup of the Hanford nuclear site. Helped create Priority Spokane. 

Family: Married to Tom Flanagan. Has two children. Sister is Vanessa Waldref, the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Washington. 

Fundraising: Has raised more than $100,000 as of Sept. 27. Prominent donors include numerous labor unions, Washington State Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee, Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs, Spokane City Council members Betsy Wilkerson, Lori Kinnear and Zack Zappone, former Spokane City Councilwoman Candace Mumm, former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart, state Sen. Andy Billig, the Spokane Tribe of Indians, the Spokane Firefighters Union Political Action Committee and the Win With Women Political Action Committee.