Staff Bios
Elaine Ko,
Phyllis Shulman, &
Sara Nelson
Elaine Ko, Legislative Assistant
Background: Elaine has served on the boards of The International Examiner, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, the Corporate Volunteer Council, Puget Sound Directors of Volunteer Services, University of Washington Certification Program in Fundraising, Leave a Legacy and the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras.
In addition, she participated in Leadership Tomorrow and has been awarded the Donor of the Year from College Planning Network and Outstanding Volunteer from Denise Louie Education Center.
Her professional positions have included: Director of Community Affairs, City of Seattle Engineering Department; Market Research Director, United Way of King County; Social Policy Administrator, Security Pacific Bank; Director of Community Services and Volunteers, Harborview Medical Center. She holds a Master of Arts in Scandinavian Languages and Literature and a graduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington.
Core Areas of Responsibility: Office Management, Scheduling, Correspondence, Constituent Services, Mail/Phones
Specific Issues: Domestic Violence, Public Health Funding, Public Records Disclosure, and Health and Human Service Issues
Schedule: Monday - Thursday
Phyllis Shulman, Legislative Assistant
Background: Phyllis has been the owner of an environmental consulting business for 13 years. She has also worked for numerous non-profits and the New Zealand government. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley, with a focus on Conservation and Resource Studies and community development. She completed her Master's Degree in Organizational Systems Renewal from Antioch, Seattle, with a special interest in civic involvement. Phyllis has been active and instrumental in founding numerous organizations and programs including the Pacific Institute of Resource Management, Children's Creative Response to Conflict and Berkeley Energy Action Mobilization. Phyllis has a passion for wild mushroom hunting, traveling, cooking and gardening. She loves exploring Seattle with her son.
Core Areas of Responsibilty: Transportation Committee Staffing, Neighborhood Transportation Issues, Northgate, Sustainability, Alaskan Way Viaduct, SR520, SDOT administration, Civic Participation.
Specific Issues: Northgate, South Lake Union and Waterfront Streetcars, Aurora Ave., Lake City Way Multimodal Project, Neighborhood Plan Issues, Residential/Arterial Traffic Calming, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Waterfront, Comprehensive Plan/Transportation Strategic Plan Integration, Critical Areas Ordinance, Sustainability, SR 520 and Neighborhood Impact Study,
I-90.
Schedule: Monday - Friday
Sara Nelson, Legislative Assistant
Recovering Academic, Political Junkie, Brew Frau
A California native, Sara Nelson moved to Seattle in 1990 for grad school and earned her doctorate in Cultural Anthropology at UW in 1997. After two years as an underemployed lecturer, she left academia in order to ply her real passion – politics – in Seattle. She first joined Councilmember Richard Conlin’s team in 2002 and stayed for six years, working primarily on transportation and sustainability issues. She took a three-year break from public service to stay home with her two sons, born in 2004 and 2005. Sara returned to Councilmember Conlin’s office in the fall of 2010.
While ostensibly devoting herself to her children, Sara also managed Conlin’s 2009 re-election campaign and helped launch the family’s new business, the Fremont Brewing Company. She also did a lot of mushroom foraging, beading, and hanging out at construction sites with her sons.
Sara has been involved in various social justice and environmental campaigns and non-profits. She served for several years on the Board of Home Alive, a local anti-violence project and she currently serves on NARAL Pro-Choice Washington’s Political Action Committee. As a small business owner, she’s active in efforts such as the Seattle Climate Partnership and the Seattle Good Business Network that support sustainable small businesses. She loves backpacking, mycology, hanging out with friends -- and lots of other things she has almost no time to enjoy.
Areas of primary focus in Conlin office: intergovernmental relations, economic development, environmental sustainability.
Areas of secondary focus: annexation, some land use, all things transportation, and misc.
Schedule: Monday - Thursday
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