The Chair’s Legacy Award is a newly established honor presented by Economic Alliance Snohomish County at its annual meeting. This prestigious lifetime achievement award recognizes a distinguished public figure whose career and philanthropic contributions have made a lasting and positive impact on Snohomish County’s economy, community well-being and overall vitality. In alignment with EASC’s mission to foster economic prosperity, the Chair’s Legacy Award highlights those whose vision, leadership and dedication have shaped the future of the region for generations to come.
Paul Roberts hasn’t lost his passion after more than 40 years of advocating for environmental causes as an elected representative and government official.
His latest gig is writing a series of opinion columns for The Daily Herald called “Eco-nomics” which, as Roberts put it, explore the intersection of climate change and economics.
“While the Trump administration is preoccupied with curbing illegal immigration, they have left the door open for diseases and climate impacts to do more damage to the U.S.,” he wrote in his latest column on April 26.
He criticized how Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, which he states are both critical structures in addressing climate change and fighting infectious diseases, including pandemics such as COVID and bird flu.
“Emissions warm the planet and harm our health. Federal cuts will impair efforts to combat greenhouse gases,” he said.
Roberts said the realization that our economy was based on fossil fuels and that the pollution from them was also causing greenhouse gases that were harmful to the planet came to him as a student at Evergreen State College in Olympia.
“It was like a lightning bolt had hit me,” he said.
It framed a long career in government that focused on the public policy of improving air quality.
His experience in local government included assistant city manager and public works director for the city of Marysville, city of Everett planning director and Everett City Council member for 20 years.
Roberts also represented the city of Everett on state and regional boards including serving as Chair of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Board, the Sound Transit Board, and the Association of Washington Cities Board, where he served as president. Roberts also served on the Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Policy Board and as a private consultant.
He served as an advisor to former governor Booth Gardner, with a key responsibility in coordinating the building of the Everett Navy Base, and chief of staff to former Congressman Norm Dicks.
It was the connection with Dicks that ultimately brought Roberts to Everett.
Dicks, who represented Washington’s 6th District, was a key member of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense and military construction subcommittees and an advocate to open the naval station in Everett.
Roberts worked for Dicks on getting Everett selected by the Navy. He then moved to former Gov. Gardner’s office and was Everett’s planning director when the base finally opened in 1994.
Everett was first suggested as a base location by the late Sen. Henry Jackson after President Ronald Reagan’s plan in the early 1980s to expand the number of naval ships.
“I was very supportive of the Everett Naval Base,” Roberts said, noting the positive effects on the area economy.
As a member of South Transit and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Board, Roberts said he had championed expanding public transit, including the light rail system.
He said more electric cars on the road and the continued use and expansion of mass transit will be instrumental in maintaining air quality.
Randy Diamond: 425-339-3097; randy.diamond@heraldnet.com.
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