Rick loves to get out in the community and study the issues most important to Puyallup residents.One might find him at a local PTA meeting or even a planning and development project. However, when he's not attending some of these various engagements, Rick has several side projects and entreprenial ventures for which he has gained noteable experience.

PERSONAL PROJECTS

Rick has been out hitting the pavement on the final campaign days, doing everything he can to convince the people of Puyallup that he's really listening to their suggestions. Rick, personally, has doorbelled over half the homes in Puyallup to listen, not only just to the voices of his friends, but to learn of the concerns of all Puyallup residents, in hopes of creating better communication between elected city officials and the public.

Those that know Rick Hansen know that he is a person that stands up for what is right and that which most benefits the people of Puyallup, even if that sometimes conflicts what he might prefer. In recent months, Rick has spoken with and answered countless emails about questions surrounding the future of Puyallup. Most of these questions concern growth and traffic-related dilemnas that past councilmembers have not addressed. Though the downtown area has noticed sizeable improvements, it is small in comparison with the rest of the city as a whole. His good business sense and willingness to work for the best for the city make him the ideal candidate for the At Large position.

An entrepreneur and consultant, Rick is often approached by people with ideas of innovation and of business matters. In addition to his involvements with the City of Puyallup, Rick is also the VP and Director of Pro Sea and sits on the Board of Directors of ShipRex International, Inc. Rick is very much interested in investing in the future of Puyallup and in the preservation of local cultures and histories. In 2000, he helped raise and preserve an over 200-year-old anchor found in the mouth of the Puyallup River. The anchor dates back from the time of when Vancouver and Charles Wiles led the first expeditions to explore the Northwest. The anchor has been donated to the Washington State History Museum for all to see how the mudflats have preserved the old wood and iron construction of an anchor that would otherwise never have survived.

Outside of his business pursuits, Rick enjoys spending time with family and friends. He loves to read and was honored to have met author Clive Cussler (at top) in 1999. Rick has an unquenchable "thirst for knowledge" and has always been interested in finding out how things work. In spare time, he can be found tinkering on an old Volkswagon beetle with his son, fishing for crab and other seafood with friends, enjoying the natural beauty of the Puget Sound, or supporting his wife or children in their many academic or athletic pursuits