The Yelm City Council appointed its newest member at a meeting on Oct. 11.
Ashley Lea Brooks was selected to fill the position six seat that was vacated by former council member Line Roy.
Brooks has lived in Yelm since 1997 and aims to be a servant leader for the Yelm community.
After working several jobs in the area, including a gig at Dominos and a stint as a nail technician, Brooks got into the field of volunteering.
Brooks now volunteers at Love Abounds Here, which is an organization that aims to support homeless individuals within the greater Yelm area. The group provides resources, services and advocacy for those experiencing homelessness.
Brooks has also served as a volunteer at Prairie Elementary School.
Brooks said volunteering and the leadership roles she has taken have led her to where she is today.
“When I say I’ve lived, laughed, loved and lost on Yelm, I mean that on a personal level,” Brooks said during an interview with the Nisqually Valley News. “I realize now looking back, that all the hardship early in my life was meant to happen. I needed to go to the bottom to really see where I was supposed to be and that’s helping out others.”
The idea to get involved in local politics came from Brooks’ husband, Justin. He joked she should run for mayor after he noticed how well she grasped the course work in a civics class she took.
The idea blossomed and Brooks began to examine what qualifications she would need to get involved with city government. She decided to campaign for an eventual open seat on the Yelm City Council when the opportunity presented itself.
“I was confident leading up to my selection. I don’t talk myself down, just like I don’t talk other people down,” Brooks said. “I know if there is a will, there’s a way. I had the mentors and educators helping me, and with the support from everyone, I felt extremely confident.”
Brooks said she highlighted three things she hopes to bring to the table as a city council member in her application. She said she hopes to engage the citizens of Yelm and increase participation at city sponsored events.
Brooks also wants to build on the pride of city residents.
“I want these residents to remember that charm and unique sparkle about Yelm,” Brooks said. “But most importantly, I want to make sure everyone feels involved and welcomed.”
She also wants to work with current members of the city council to enact common goals, which she said the council is already good at.
“I want to go where the people are. When I say that, I think of the Little Mermaid because that’s one of the movie’s songs. But I want to listen to people and make sure their voices are heard,” Brooks said. “I want to get along with everyone.”
She also wants to make sure citizens are aware of what is happening within the city. Brooks hopes to spread the word about different events like the community conversations gatherings to ensure residents’ voices are heard.
“For a while, I felt like you needed to be a business owner or be involved in local government to be able to have a stake in what’s going on in the city,” Brooks said. “But that isn’t the case and I want everyone to know that. Everything in the city is transparent for everyone, no matter what part of Yelm you live in.”
Brooks was sworn onto the council during a meeting on Oct. 11. She will serve until the general election in November of 2023.
