Born and raised in Puyallup, which she currently represents in the legislature, Stambaugh says that as a young girl she had a penchant for introducing herself everywhere she went. “Little did I know that it would serve me well on the campaign trail.” Puyallup is located just 10 miles outside Tacoma and about 30 miles south of Seattle.
Elected in 2014, Stambaugh is passionate about both education and children, saying she’s particularly proud to have worked on a bill that closed a loophole in child privacy laws. She also helped craft a technical career initiative. “I want to expose students at a young age to the different options that they have,” she says. “College isn’t always the right path for everyone.”
One year into her legislative career, she’s eager to see where it takes her next. “I had no idea I’d be doing this two years ago, so it’s so hard to think what the next few years will hold,” she says. “I do know that I want to really make an impact.”
Read about the Women in Government program and the rest of the honorees.