WHEREAS, Brian Sims was born in Seattle in 1953 and grew up in Burien, and he and his family resided in Olympia; and

WHEREAS, He earned his bachelor's degree in communication at Washington State University in 1976; and

WHEREAS, Brian secured his Master of Science degree in Innovation and Creative Thinking at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1980; and

WHEREAS, He furthered his education by earning a Master of Social Policy at the University of Washington in 1984, focusing on Public Policy and Finance; and

WHEREAS, Brian first began work at the Washington State Senate in 1998, and was promoted to Senate Fiscal Coordinator in 2008; and

WHEREAS, During the Great Recession, he worked diligently to help Washington recover and improve its long-term fiscal health; and

WHEREAS, He came up with the idea for the State Efficiency and Restructuring Account (SERA) to save money; and

WHEREAS, Brian did comprehensive analysis related to the closure of Fircrest school and helped the state make a significant conservation purchase in Teanaway; and

WHEREAS, Brian was instrumental in developing legislation to aid small schools that had limited tax bases, taking a specific interest in the Mt. Adams school district in the middle of the Yakama reservation and helping to bring a new state of the art facility to the small community; and

WHEREAS, Brian was known affectionately as "Senator Sims," due to the great impact he had on policy as an out-of-the-box thinker who could put complex ideas into policy language that made a difference; and

WHEREAS, Brian was a dedicated mentor to many of the Ways & Means Committee staffers, and was extraordinarily generous with his time, using it to help many other analysts hone their skills; and

WHEREAS, During his retirement his generosity continued toward the youth in his community, with Brian working to mobilize and empower student voices through his role with the Washington State School Directors' Association, supporting young people tackling the Pacific Crest Trail, and teaching several high school students learning tractor driving, garlic planting and harvesting, cider apple care, fence building, and other critical farm hand duties; and

WHEREAS, Brian Sims was a loving husband to his wife Lisa, a remarkable father to Evan, Mackenzie, and Taylor, and a proud grandfather to Orion;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That this resolution is offered in memory of our friend and colleague Brian Sims and in honor of his legacy throughout the Senate; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate express its deepest gratitude for the 18 years of service as an extraordinarily creative fiscal analyst to the Legislature, and for the many more years of service given to his greater community and the people of the State of Washington.