East Washingtonian - Your Hometown News Source

The lyrics to the song "Country Roads" have always resonated with me. The roads could be in our beautiful Garfield County home, where a strong work ethic and traditional values remain. I'm Vonni (Vonda) Mulrony and as I throw my hat into the ring for County Commissioner, I would like to share my background and why I am well-suited to preserve, promote and protect our proud heritage.

A country girl since birth, I was raised in the Columbia Basin, where my father was a pioneer who broke out sagebrush to develop an irrigated farm. These roots taught me the value of perseverance and hard work. My husband Randy and I moved to Pomeroy in 1980. We were excited to continue our careers as a diesel mechanic and a dental hygienist, while raising our children in the country. Our three children attended our schools, participating in sports, 4-H and FFA, representing our community at both state and national levels. We benefited from the generosity and kindness of this small close-knit community.

My public service began as a member of the local school board, where I was proud to help drive the remodel of the elementary school. Being passionate about community health, I served on our local hospital board for six years. Additional community involvement includes Republican platform committee chair and Tucannon Precinct committee officer, Pony Puncher Rodeo committee member and announcer, FFA, 4-H, and Pomeroy Jr. Miss.

Work-related experiences include clinical dental hygiene, public health, and my dual role at Lewis-Clark State College, where I was the lead dental hygiene educator, and administrator of the onsite dental hygiene clinic. Through this job I successfully wrote grants and was a representative to the Idaho State Legislature and Idaho State Dental Hygiene board. I developed and oversaw budgets, purchasing, and hiring. My formal education includes an Associate of Dental Hygiene, a Bachelor of Social Science and a Master of Organizational Leadership and Performance.

As a long-time resident of Garfield County, I deeply care about both the fiscal and physical health of our community. I will continuously advocate for a responsible budget, quality education for our children and local healthcare access for our entire community. I support both economic development and the broadband installation.

My experience working with diverse groups of people gives me the background to listen to different points of view and solutions. I will bring a perspective obtained though experienced leadership, along with fresh ideas. I will fight to preserve and protect the small-town character and traditional values that define our agricultural community, while still promoting our advancement into the future. As a commissioner I will bring the values and common sense of my agricultural roots. I have the foundational background to be a successful leader and advocate for the county, supporting current and future small businesses as your next county commissioner.