Frank Chopp, former Washington State Speaker of the House and longtime State Representative, died suddenly this week. This is a devastating loss for our State and the nation, and it has hit me hard.
I had been thinking a lot about Frank and his leadership style over past few months as we endure the national scene tearing down rather than building up our country. For those of you who have not heard of him, you likely have felt the effects of his indefatigable work.
Frank was an innovative and dedicated public servant who leveraged the tools and resources of government to serve the greatest number of people. I wanted him to be around for a long time to help us inspire future leaders after we get through our current apocalypse. He always inspired me to challenge my vision, aim high, and think out of the box.
Just last week, I gave him a big hug at the annual YouthCare luncheon where he was being honored for his leadership in securing surplus state land on Capitol Hill for YouthCare’s new Constellation Center, a job training center and housing for youth and young adults. The organization never could have afforded such a prime location—on the corner of East Pine and Broadway—without his wheeling and dealing to get it for them. When he saw something that made sense like this, he made it happen. Like Apple Healthcare for kids, for example. He helped make housing an essential part of healthcare so that Medicare pays for it. He also fought for marriage equality and so much more.
I first met Frank years ago when we were lobbying him to expand the Housing Trust Fund (which he had established). We were asking for a lot of money (or so it seemed to me). He pulled out his little notebook to write down our request, but then put it down somberly and said, “Sonya, are you sure you want this?” I was scared; I thought he was disagreeing. As I took a breath to make the case, he said “Are we aiming high enough?”
That’s Frank for you. We weren’t aiming high enough, and with his counsel, we ended up with four times more money that year. More people in Washington state are housed because of Frank. More people and more children are healthy because of him. The list goes on with how much he changed lives for the better. Forever.
Frank, I promise we will always aim high and encourage others as a tribute to you. Rest in peace…we won’t let you down.
You can read the family’s obituary and learn more about Frank’s life here.