Cynthia (Cindy) McMullen

A candidate for Central Valley School Board, district 1, Central Valley School District in the 2019 Washington General Election, Nov. 5

Age: 72

City: Spokane Valley, Washington

Education: Graduated from Heidelberg American High School in Germany in 1970. Graduated from Stanford University in 1974 with a bachelor’s in political science. Graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1979 with a law degree.

Political experience: First elected to Central Valley School Board in 1987, serving for 24 years. Elected again in 2015 and has been on the board since. Appointed to the State Board of Education by other school board members, serving from 2012-15. Appointed chair of the Spokane County Civil Service Commission, served four years in the 1980s. Currently on the legislative committee and federal relations network in the Washington State School Directors Association for the last 15 years, served on the leadership board of the association from 2007-10. Chair of the WSSDA federal relations network from 2018-22.

Work experience: Worked as a lawyer for 40 years, as a city attorney for several small cities and towns and eventually opening McMullen Law Offices and working there until retirement in 2020. Served as Spokane County District Court judge pro tempore from 1995 to 2010. Served as Spokane County Superior Court arbitrator from 2005-2018 and Spokane County land use hearing examiner from 1998-2010.

Family: Married to Dennis McMullen. Have three grown daughters who attended Central Valley schools.

Campaign contributions: Has raised $8,445 as of Sept. 10. Support is largely from individual donors, including $1,200 from Geoffrey Batt; $1,200 from Paul Clay, who represented the three incumbents in a failed 2021 recall attempt; $1,200 from Amy Kay; $500 from Teresa Landa, another board member; and $250 from Washington Education Association Political Action Committee, the statewide teachers’ union.