Elected Experience: You deserve a finance professional - not a professional politician - as your State Treasurer. While this is my first run for office, I’m the only candidate with 15+ years of private sector finance, investment and accounting experience.
Other Professional Experience: Senior VP of Operations, Bentall Kennedy, managing $11.1 billion of assets. Head of Accounting, Cascade Investment (Bill & Melinda Gates’s investment firm), managed $70 billion of assets.
Education: MBA, Emory University. BBA, Accounting and Management, Columbus State University.
Community Service: United Way of King County: Board Member (2012-2015); Finance and Audit Committees (2008-2015); Early Learning Impact Council (2012-present).
Statement: You deserve honest and understandable management of our State’s finances. For too long, the professional politicians elected Treasurer have helped put us $20 billion in debt. Now Washington has the 6th highest state debt per person in the nation.
This deficit spending is unacceptable. I will lead us in a different direction.
I’m the only candidate with the high-level private industry experience to bring much needed change to the Treasurer’s office. My professional finance background, and commitment to integrity and open government, have earned me endorsements from former Attorney General Rob McKenna and Independents, Democrats, and Republicans across our state (see HireMichaelWaite.com).
As Treasurer, I will fight for you against the dangers of increasing our debt, or hurting our economy with a state income tax. I will honestly present financial information to taxpayers and, most importantly, prioritize efficiency, accountability and decreasing state debt. That way we can increase the money available for schools, public safety, our social safety net, and community infrastructure, instead of spending $2 billion every year on debt payments to Wall Street. I’ve thrived as a finance professional by delivering for clients - now, let me deliver for you. Please vote Michael Waite for Treasurer.