That's So Auburn!

Meet the Magic Makers: The Women Behind Auburn’s Biggest Events

Hello and welcome to episode four of our third season of That’s So Auburn! I’m Nancy Backus, Mayor of the City of Auburn, and today I’m joined by two guests, Interim Events Supervisor Kristy Pachciarz and Events Coordinator Amanda Valdez! They’re the brainpower behind many of our events organized by our Parks, Arts and Recreation department, such as Veterans Parade, Petpalooza, KidsDay, Lighted Santa Parade and of course, the Auburn Farmers Market. Kristy has been with the City of Auburn since 2...

Catching up with Green River College President Dr. Suzanne Johnson

Welcome to episode 3 of our third season of That’s so Auburn! I’m joined today – again – by Green River College President Dr. Suzanne Johnson to talk higher education, new initiatives, the changing educational landscape, and so much more. Dr. Johnson joined Green River College in 2017 and in those 8 years, has been a major driving force in keeping higher education a backbone of the Auburn community. Under her stewardship, Green River College has thrived and continues to be one of the premiere co...

“Never Too Cool for School” with Dr. Alan Spicciati

Celebrating Public Safety Telecommunicators with a lifelong telecommunicator

We're joined by Vonnie Mayer, the Executive Director of Valley Com 911, who brings nearly 40 years of experience in emergency communications and public safety. She began her career in the late 1980s as one of the first civilian dispatchers at the Angle Lake Fire Department and joined Valley Com 911 in 1993. Known for her people-driven leadership, Vonnie fosters a culture of collaboration, trust, and operational excellence. As a mentor and advocate, Vonnie prioritizes employee growth, wellness, a...

A Conversation with Auburn City Council Part 3! Councilmembers Tracy Taylor and Hanan Amer

And our final episode in our council series is Councilmemers Tracy Taylor and Hanan Amer, two of our newest on the council. Councilmember Taylor was a 6-time Emmy nominated and Edward R. Murrow TV/Radio Reporter in the Seattle Market for over two decades before transitioning to government work. She now serves as a Communications Coordinator in the City of Kent, bringing her wealth of experience and community-driven spirit to her current role. Tracy's dedication to the community is evident as the...

A Conversation with Auburn City Council Part 2! Councilmembers Yolanda Trout-Manuel and Kate Baldwin

Our council conversations continue with Councilmembers Yolanda Trout-Manuel and Kate Baldwin! Councilmember Trout-Manuel, who served as acting deputy mayor for a portion of last year, began serving on the council in January 2014 and currently represents Auburn on the Sound Cities Association (SCA) Domestic Violence Initiative Regional Task Force, SCA Children and Youth Advisory Board, National League of Cities (NLC) Hispanic Elected Officials (HELO), and the National Association of Latino Electe...

A Conversation with Auburn City Council Part 1! Councilmembers Cheryl Rakes and Clinton Taylor (Part 1)

We're back! For Season 3 of That's So Auburn! podcast we're interviewing all of the Auburn City Councilmembers, two at a time. Each episode will release a week a part, beginning with today's! Mayor Backus sat down with Deputy Mayor Cheryl Rakes and Councilmember Clinton Taylor to discuss the day to day, what got them into politics, and what keeps them going. Deputy Mayor Rakes has lived in Auburn since 1960, when her family moved from Bellingham because her father got a job at the fire departmen...

A City of Auburn Police Deep Dive with Commander Cristian Adams

In this episode of That's So Auburn! Mayor Nancy Backus is joined by Police Commander Cristian Adams, who began his law enforcement career in Auburn in 2005 as a patrol officer. He now oversees Traffic, Records and our Community Response Team. The world was much different when Cristian first applied to be an officer -- he was one of about 250 applicants. Today, Auburn and many communities in Washington and South King County, struggle to fill vacant positions. Cristian talks about his law enforce...

The Interns are Here! (Part 2)

Part 2 of our intern takeover, this time with the wonderful ladies who run the program! Mayor Nancy Backus is joined by City of Auburn Human Resource Department's Chardae Gillespie, Brianna Winters and Melissa Medisch, three women who love the work they do and the impact it has on the next generation of city workers. Listen to their spirited conversation about the NextStepAuburn program and how it impacts not only the interns themselves but the city as a whole.

The Interns are Here! (Part 1)

City of Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus sits down with Next Step Auburn interns Angee Pogosian, William Olson, and Emma Blanton, who started in June for the 10-week internship with the city. The quartet talks about their favorite moments (so far), lessons learned, and goals for the future! Part 2 will be released in August.

The Maddies Miss Auburns Want to Change the World

Miss Auburn Maddy Lindsay and Miss Auburn's Teen Maddie McCarthy join Mayor Nancy Backus in this very special episode of That's So Auburn! Learn about the Miss America organization, the amazing scholarship and community service opportunities, and how the Maddies plan to use their platform to change the world for the better.

The Nancy Episode!

This episode is all about, well, Mayor Nancy Backus! For the past two years you've heard her interview a whole bevy of guests, from school district officials, emergency managers, homelessness service providers, Miss Auburn and more. And now, the tables are turned -- literally! She's in the hot seat, ready to answer the community's most burning questions.

Auburn's Anti-Homelessness Approach four years later

Mayor Nancy Backus sits down with Anti-Homelessness Director Kent Hay, Outreach Worker Drew Conley, and community member Kyle Benson, who spent years homeless in Auburn. Kyle talks about his journey from heavy drug use to jail to now being clean and sober and in permanent housing. This is episode is also a follow-up to our very first episodes in season 1, titled "Addressing Homelessness in Auburn." There are three parts, please give them a listen!

Talking enrollment, the future of education with Green River College leadership

Mayor Nancy Backus chats with Green River College's President Suzanne Johnson and Vice President for Advancement George Frasier about that gorgeous campus up on Lea Hill and the struggles it and many colleges across the country have faced since the pandemic began in 2020. The three chat about enrollment shortfalls, what's being done, and what's the plan for the future. Plus, and this is important, do they prefer Friends or the Office? Stay tuned to find out.

The Auburn Food Bank, and how an anonymous benefactor decided to write the check of a lifetime

In this month's episode of That's so Auburn! Mayor Nancy Backus and Communications Manager Jonathan Glover catch up with Debbie Christian, the Executive Director of the Auburn Food Bank. If you haven't heard the wonderful news, last month, an anonymous donor wrote the check of a lifetime, all by paying for the entire outstanding bill as the food bank moves to a new, much bigger and better building. The story is so wonderful it's ripped straight out of a Hallmark movie. But even better -- it's al...

Holidays, Christmas and the Auburn Lighted Santa Parade with the Tree Lighter Himself

City of Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus sits down with Auburn Parks, Arts and Recreation Coordinator Amanda Valdez and 7-year-old Lucas Fernandez, who was selected to light the tree outside of City Hall earlier this year! It's a wonderful tradition that begins as a parade down Main Street from Auburn High School and ends at City Hall Plaza, where hundreds will gather to watch Lucas flip the switch. Lucas was one of about 30 applicants, the most in the history of this event! Hear from Lucas about his f...

The Great City of Auburn Veterans Parade (seriously, it's pretty great)

Mayor Nancy Backus sits down with City of Auburn's special events coordinator Kristy Pachciarz and Roger Olson with the American Legion Post 78 to talk about the Auburn Veterans Parade! You know, that great big giant parade that snakes through Main Street each year??? You might be wondering how it started, how it grew so big, and what it means to the folks involved (hint: a whole heck of a lot).

The Auburn Postmark Center for the Arts is here and it's amazing!

Mayor Nancy Backus sat down with Parks, Arts and Recreation Director Daryl Faber and Arts Supervisor Allison Hyde to talk all things Postmark Center for the Arts! They detail the storied history of the building, the yearslong project of getting it completely renovated, and what's to come. Spoiler alert: you ain't seen nothin' yet.

Catching up with the City of Auburn Junior City Council

City of Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus sits down with Junior Councilmembers Waylon Menzie, Khysner Ayo and Jonathan Mulenga to discuss, well, what it means to be a young person representing thousands in local government! The Auburn City Council created the Junior City Council in order to get advice and ideas from students on things like parks, recreation, entertainment, traffic, police, festivals, trails, environmental stewardship and other social issues. Students learn leadership skills, improve the...

The Beautification of Auburn, One Park and Street Corner at a Time

In this final episode of Season 1, Mayor Nancy Backus and Communications Manager Jonathan Glover sit down with artists Jill Drllevich and Peter Reiquam, who collectively are responsible for some of the most recognizable pieces of art in the city.

Winter is Coming: How to Prepare and Navigate Inclement Weather in Auburn

In this episode, we discuss all things winter weather preparedness -- how the city responds to snow events, which areas are plowed first and what are the limitations. We also dive into trash collection with Waste Management, and how Auburn School District makes the decision to give kids their favorite day of the year: a snow day! Guests: Erik Cottle and Andy Boswellof City of Auburn Maintenance and Operations Karissa Smith, City of Auburn Emergency Manager Cindi Blansfield, Auburn School Distric...

Talking Trash and Community Pride

Mayor Backus was inspired recently after being interviewed by a local Scout Liem Allen about increased littering and how to combat the growing issue. Listen in on the interview and then hear from three Auburn staff members on what the City of Auburn does to keep Auburn clean and what community members can do to help. You will hear about the following resources and programs to help make Auburn shine: See, Click, Fix reporting app Auburn Adopt-a-Street program Auburn Adopt-a-Park program Auburn Gr...

Miss Auburn and Miss Auburn's Outstanding Teen

In this episode, we chat with Miss Auburn Carrie Everett and Miss Auburn’s Outstanding Teen Alexis Douglas. Hear how these two young women embodies Auburn's story of resilience, hope, and bright future.

Sexual Assault and Abuse Awareness

In this episode, we discuss an important but sometimes uncomfortable topic—sexual assault and abuse. We dive into the history and myths around sexual abuse, signs for identifying abuse, how to handle disclosure, online safety, and resources available. Guests: Marie Pereda, Parent Educator with the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center Detectives Francesca Nix and Doug Faini, Auburn Police Department

Addressing Homelessness in Auburn | Part 3

Mayor Nancy Backus continues her multi-part series covering homelessness and how Auburn is responding to this issue. In this episode she is joined by more people in our community that are working on bringing people inside. You will hear from the Executive Director of the Auburn Food Bank Debbie Christian, two outreach workers from We Care Daily Clinics - an organization that combines medication assisted treatment and behavioral health counseling services, and one of Auburn's recent success stori...

Addressing Homelessness in Auburn | Part 2

In part 2 of her mulitpart series on homelessness, Mayor Nancy Backus is joined again by by Kent Hay, Auburn's Homelessness Outreach Administrator, to talk about the specific challenges we have when it comes to moving people off the streets and into safer and healthier living conditions and let you know how you can be a part of reducing homelessness in Auburn.

Addressing Homelessness in Auburn | Part 1

Mayor Nancy Backus kicks off her first episode of "That's So Auburn!" with one of the most talked about issues in the city - homelessness. In this first part of a multipart series she is joined by Kent Hay, Auburn's Homelessness Outreach Administrator, to help listeners understand the challenges and the successes of Auburn's approach to the crisis.