Bethany Wiedner

I moved to West Olympia in 1984. I joined the Co-op, raised two boys, & got active in the SW Olympia Neighborhood Association in the heyday of environmental, anti-war, and racial justice organizing. For a few years, I was part of a committed group of people bringing out Works in Progress a unique community paper created by volunteers for over 30 years. Coverage of the organizations supported by the Community Sustaining Fund was always a highlight - a chance to learn about the range of incredible grassroots efforts necessary to make Thurston County a healthy place for children and other living things. I joined the CSF Board in the Fall of 2024.

Long ago, I worked for the state (WUTC and Office of the Insurance Commissioner) and for a change of pace spent a few years as Administrator of the SeaMar Community Medical Clinic on the Westside. Eons before that, I was in Washington DC, first at the Institute for Policy Studies and then as Legislative Assistant to Senator James Abourezk (D., SD) and speechwriter for George McGovern(ment) as we called him.