Recently, Soroptimist International of Port Orchard awarded its annual Woman of Distinction Award to Kitsap County Commissioner Jan Angel.

Angel has a broad background as a banker, real estate professional and entrepreneur.

In the banking field, she was the first female commercial loan officer and the first “lady banker” in the State of Alaska. Angel later owned her own business for nine years, with locations in Port Orchard, Silverdale, and Pierce County. She learned about the Kitsap community through extensive community service activities, which include 13 years on the board of the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce of which she is a past president. She continues to be an active member of the Port Orchard, Silverdale, Bremerton, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island Chambers, Port Orchard Rotary, Beta Sigma Phi sorority and Alpha Phi Alumni Association. She is a past member of Soroptimist.

Angel’s position as commissioner has given her the opportunity to make a difference in the community, but it has been through her initiative and determination that she has been able to accomplish so much. Her touchstone is economic development. She represents Kitsap County among a coalition of counties, which she helped to organize, called the Olympic Region Economic Development Strategy. Through this coalition, the Olympic Coast Regional Steering committee was born which is working to bring broadband to a seven county area — a must for businesses wanting to locate in our area.

Two “Industry Clusters” — marine and tourism — have been identified by Angel for study, and developing the necessary steps to increase these revenue and job-producing sources. As a board member of the Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council, she has also been working to bring NASCAR to Kitsap County and she represents Kitsap County on the board of the Central Puget Sound Economic Development District. She’s also a founding member of the Kitsap International Trade Council.

In 2002, at her own expense, Angel participated in a Friendship Delegation to China with Washington State Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen. After Lt. Gov. Owen returned home, she became the highest-ranking official in the delegation, and through her efforts, helped establish business links between China and Kitsap County. Two delegations from China have since visited our area and now have plans for establishing import/export businesses here.

Presently, Commissioner Angel serves regionally on the boards of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, the Olympic Consortium Board, the Historical Ships Society, and the Washington Association of Counties Urban County caucus. She is President of the Western District of the Washington State Association of Counties, and serves on its statewide board of directors. She is also a member of the State of Washington Farm Bureau, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition and the Kitsap Audubon Society.

Locally, Angel serves on the boards of the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC), the CENCOM 911 Policy Board, and the County Emergency Management Board. She serves as a member of the boards of the Kitsap Health District, the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority, Kitsap Transit, the Kitsap Fire Safety Board, and on numerous task forces.

Committed to continuing education and leadership, Angel is one of only 14 county officials in the State of Washington, and the only Kitsap County official designated as a Certified Public Official. By completing university level instruction, she learned more about efficient and cost effective local government service delivery. The program is a collaborative effort between Washington State University and the Washington Association of Counties and Cities.

Through perseverance and collaboration with several entities, the Gorst Estuary project will become a reality in the near future. Angel continues to work on the sewer problems that plague that area, and is working continuously to find the millions of dollars in funding that will be needed for successful completion, a problem that others have been trying to solve for more than the last decade.