Spokane Valley City Council Position 5
The Candidates
Angie Beem
- Party:
- No party
- City:
- Spokane Valley, Washington
Political experience: None.
Work experience: Is on disability. Last job was in a microbiology laboratory at a local hospital.
Education: Graduated from Wenatchee Valley High School in 1986. Graduated from Wenatchee Valley College in 2000 with an associate degree in applied sciences. Earned bachelor’s degree in visual communication and digital design online from American Intercontinental University, and an MBA with focus on operations management also from American Intercontinental in 2011.
Family: Single, no children.
Top priorities if elected: Wants to establish an ethics commission within city hall, because she believes Spokane Valley’s ethics policy isn’t tough enough and politicians “should be held accountable by a somebody.”
Beem wants to overhaul the city budget and cut spending. For instance, city council members shouldn’t have what she calls “Cadillac health insurance” for the part time job they have.
And she wants to clean up nuisance properties more swiftly and efficiently, as well as help those who are drug addicted and homeless. “It’s our job to take care of our residents,” she said.
Pamela Haley
- Party:
- No party
- Age:
- 67
- City:
- Spokane, Washington
Education: Graduated from Central Valley High School in 1975. Graduated from Spokane Falls Community College and attended Eastern Washington University before transferring to Ashford University to complete bachelor's degree in organizational management and master’s degree in business with an emphasis in human resources. Also earned a master's degree in education from Capella University.
Work experience: Former manager of Valley Empire Collection. Has run day cares, including Rainbow Connection Daycare, for decades.
Political experience: Eight years on Spokane Valley City Council, in second term as mayor. Has served as a Republican precinct committee officer from 2020 to present.
Family: Married to Jim Haley.
Campaign fundraising: Raised $17,865, including a $1,200 cash loan to herself, as of July 12. Top contributors include Stacey and Troy Peterson, owners of High Voltage Capital; Elk residents Douglas and Christine Ranger, the later an educator in the Deer Park School District; Valley resident Will Resavage, legislative assistant to state Senator Jeff Holy; Tara Cannon, an administrator at Valley Empire Collection; and Vicki McCully, director of Rainbow Connection Daycare.
Robert "Rocky" J. Samson
- Party:
- No party
- City:
- Spokane Valley, WA
His words: “Roads, better planning and being accessible is a very top priority to me. I just want to help.”
His pitch: “I’m going to be accessible. I’m going to be here for citizens and listen to their concerns, and I want to invite each and every citizen to come to City Council meetings.”
Education: Graduated from Lincoln Park High School in Michigan in 1987. Apprenticed as a master bricklayer through the bricklayers union in Detroit starting in 1988.
Political experience: None.
Work experience: Owner of Checker Auto Repair and general manager of Checker Auto Sales. Former bricklayer, cab driver and owner of Checker Cab.
Family: Divorced. Has one daughter.
Ingemar Woods
- Party:
- No party
- City:
- Spokane Valley, Washington
Political experience: None.
Work experience: Prior to becoming an educator at Apollos University in Great Falls, Montana, he worked in oil fields and as a construction laborer.
Education: He had four years of primary education because his parents were migrant farm workers and moved a lot. Obtained a GED in 1983. Attended Oregon State University from 1999-2001. Obtained a bachelor’s degree online in 2008 from Nations University. Graduated from Liberty University Seminary in 2010. Obtained a doctorate in business administration from Apollos in 2016.
Family: Married for 12 years and brought together eight children from previous marriages.
Top priorities if elected: Woods would like to bring back what he calls “the culture of people.” He wants the city to invest in its people like it invests in infrastructure.
He would like to start a city sponsored summer job shadowing program, allowing young people to shadow police, fire and city department heads, perhaps combined with a mentoring program.
Woods wants to continue the push for economic development. “If people are employed it naturally reduces crime,” he said.
Criminal history: Woods was convicted of four attempted murder charges in 1993 after he was accused of shooting at police. He was sentenced to seven years, and served five in Jackson County, Oregon. In 2002 he was convicted of second-degree burglary, also while intoxicated, in Stevens County and spent 13 months in prison.
Complete Coverage
Experience or fresh perspective? Candidates square off in Spokane Valley City Council race
Spokane Valley City Councilwoman Pamela Haley says her competition in November’s election needs to learn more about city government.
Rod Higgins, Pamela Haley top challengers in Spokane Valley City Council races
Chris Jackson and Angie Beem move on to the general election in Spokane Valley
Two of four Spokane Valley candidates have spent time in jail
Two of three candidates challenging incumbent Spokane Valley City Councilwoman Pamela Haley have spent time in jail. One man, Ingemar Lloyd Woods, has been open about his 1993 arrest in which was accused of shooting at police. The other, Robert “Rocky” J. Samson, remains under court supervision for alleged financial crimes in Kentucky.
Candidates for Spokane Valley City Council, Position 5
Candidates for Spokane Valley City Council, Position 5 PAMELA HALEY
Editorial: Haley is clear choice in Valley race
Pamela Haley has business sense, stability and experience. She is the obvious choice in this race.
Higgins, Merkel in Valley council race
The race comes down to the experience of Rod Higgins, and the fresh perspective of Al Merkel. We think both should advance and continue that debate.
Councilmen Sam Wood, Ed Pace want term limits for Spokane Valley
Two Spokane Valley City councilmen are proposing a new addition to Spokane Valley politics: term limits.
Learning on the job: Spokane Valley’s newly appointed leaders get into routine
They’ve spent a couple of months in the occasionally hot seats of the Spokane Valley City Council and they are beginning to get a feel for how city government works.