WHEREAS, Sister Sharon Park is a Washington native, born in Tacoma, raised in Seattle, and educated at Christ the King Catholic School, Bishop Blanchet High School, and Seattle University, where she earned a degree in nursing; and

WHEREAS, Sister Sharon has devoted her life to the service of others and working to improve the lives of all Washingtonians, especially the most vulnerable and those struggling with poverty. She demonstrated in her early years by entering the Dominican Sisters of Edmonds in 1963, through her nursing work at the Dominican hospital in Aberdeen, providing visiting nurse services to low-income families, and serving as a member of the Archdiocesan Sister's Council social justice committee; and

WHEREAS, As a member of the Archdiocesan Sister's Council social justice committee, Sister Sharon was selected to participate in a six-month experience learning the legislative process. When the Washington State Catholic Conference was formed, Sister Sharon and Sister Margaret Casey were selected to be the Conference's first lobbyists; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1980's Sister Sharon earned a master's degree in theological studies with a concentration in biomedical ethics from Seattle University. Her expertise in nursing and ethics was especially valuable when she returned to the Catholic Conference, as the State Legislature worked on issues related to health care, abortion, and end-of-life care; and

WHEREAS, For more than four decades, Sister Sharon Park represented the State's Catholic bishops, including serving as Executive Director of the Washington State Catholic Conference for twenty years; and

WHEREAS, Legislators and lobbyists often describe her as an intelligent, thoughtful, and caring member of the Capitol community, who would also be an effective negotiator on some of the most difficult issues facing policymakers including homelessness, hunger, abortion, services for children, foster care, improving mental health services, the death penalty, and many more; and

WHEREAS, Sister Sharon retired from the Catholic Conference in 2017 but continues her work as a leader of the PREPARES Program that "walks the journey" with pregnant and parenting women, men, and families, who find themselves lacking a healthy support network, and as a Member of the Boards of Trustees of Catholic Community Services of Western Washington and Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor Sister Sharon Park for her lifelong commitment to helping others, her tremendous example of living out the values of Catholic teaching, and her many decades of service as a legislative and community advocate; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to Sister Sharon Park.