By Kate Hobbie, LWV of Clark County

The event was titled You Can Run for Office, but when she joined the planning team for it last year, Kate Castenson wasn’t thinking of running herself. As she listened to the panel of current and former local public officials, though, she felt “energized” — especially when an outgoing planning commissioner encouraged her to consider that role.  

“The more I learned that day, the more I felt this could be a great way to make a difference in the city’s future,” she said. “I thought the event would be about me encouraging others to run, but I wound up catching the bug myself!” 

You Can Run for Office is a project of the League of Women Voters of Clark County that offers insights and training for people interested in serving on a local government board. The public sessions have drawn dozens of participants over the past two years.    

Castenson, a Claremont McKenna College graduate,is now serving a four-year term on the Vancouver Planning Commission, an advisory body for the city.     

No stranger to public service, Castenson holds a master’s degree in international human rights and has worked with a variety of organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross.  

Last year, when her 10-year job with Portland-based Mercy Corps ended after federal funding cuts, she shifted her focus from the international scene and asked, “What would it be like to be more engaged locally?” 

Already a member of LWV of Clark County, she then had time to serve on the board and chair the Action and Advocacy Committee. 

 At 38, Castenson is younger than most League members. “What drew me was the nonpartisanship, along with the focus on foundational issues of our democracy that have become so important now,” she said.  

“This work needs everyone to be engaged, and we need pathways for younger members — including students — who maybe can’t attend every meeting but want to work on a specific issue or short-term project.” 

Castenson’s League volunteer work helped prepare her for the planning commission, which she jumped into at full speed.The city is in the final stages of updating its comprehensive plan for the next 20 years.  

She’s digested hundreds of pages of background information. “You need to know the material so you can articulate it in a way the public understands and anticipate their questions,” she said. 

Being a League board member familiarized her with how to run a meeting (“I hadn’t read Robert’s Rules since high school!”), how to lead confidently, and how to handle tough conversations.  

“There will always be those who think you’re not going in the right direction, and you have to accept that with grace and empathy,” she said. “Through the League, I’ve gained comfort in facilitation and consensus-building.”  

Castenson joins a long list of League members in public office. A prime example is Kim Abel, former mayor of Port Orchard and a longtime leader in the Washington State and Kitsap County leagues.  

Public office “wasn’t on my horizon” when she joined LWV in 1997, Abel said. “But we were so encouraged to get involved with government, go to meetings and speak out. At some point I told myself, ‘You can do this’ — and it didn’t feel scary because of my League experience.”  

Abel credits LWV with teaching her that “the issues we care about are all interconnected,”and “you can’t make changes overnight.”  

It also sharpened her group listening skills:“Understanding that there are different perspectives and all of them matter – that’s the heart of the League consensus process, and it is key in government.” 

Castenson would certainly agree — and she said as much at this year’s You Can Run for Office.  

“What qualities does it take to be on a board or commission? Most important is a deep commitment to the city and its residents, and a willingness to listen and engage,” she told workshop participants.  

 “Instead of asking ‘Why me?’, ask yourself ‘Why not me?’”