What about your personal or professional background prepared you for being a County Councilmember?
Elizabeth Boyle: I’m grateful for the wide range of experiences I bring with me to the Council. My 20 years as a small business owner taught me how to balance competing financial priorities, make thoughtful decisions with limited resources, and build strong, trust-based relationships.
Twelve years volunteering in our schools reinforced for me just how important it is that we care well for our youth. I’ve seen firsthand how much it matters when children feel supported, when families have what they need, and when schools and communities work together to help young people thrive. Those years shaped how I think about prevention, opportunity, and long-term investment.
My five years working on community health initiatives helped me better understand how systems work, where they struggle, and how collaboration can create better outcomes.
My most humbling leadership training comes from 23 years as a parent! Parenting has taught me patience, perspective, how to listen even when it’s uncomfortable, and how to admit when I’m wrong!
Each of these experiences has connected me to incredible people from such diverse backgrounds across Whatcom County. Their stories stay with me as I make decisions, and I will continue expanding those connections so that the policies we shape are informed by people closest to the work.
Jessica Rienstra: I grew up in rural Whatcom County and understand many of our strengths and challenges. My family believed that if you are in a position to help, you step forward. I bring healthcare experience, fiscal responsibility, and a practical understanding of how different parts of our community connect and affect one another.
I have worked in healthcare for 20 years, starting as a nursing assistant and working my way through local education programs to become a Nurse Practitioner. That journey shaped my understanding of the importance of access to local opportunities, including education.
Along the way, I have owned a small business, managed federal and state grants and program budgets, served on Washington State’s Department of Health opioid response group, and helped write HEP C Free Washington, an initiative to eliminate the Hepatitis C virus. These experiences have shown me how gaps in systems can make life harder than it needs to be and how the right support can strengthen a community.
What inspired you to pursue this role, and what do you hope to achieve?
Elizabeth Boyle: My work around housing, the opioid crisis, youth mental health, and re-entry after jail collectively inspired me to pursue this role. I’ve seen both the challenges we face and the extraordinary commitment of people working to address them.
I want to amplify and strengthen the good work already happening while also encouraging us to think creatively and boldly about how we improve our systems of care. For example, while we pursue long-term housing solutions, we must also move quickly on immediate options such as micro-shelters and tiny home villages. If we are committed to a healthier community, everyone must have access to a safe place to sleep each night. Housing provides the stability from which people can begin addressing mental health needs, substance use disorders, and other challenges.
Jessica Rienstra: Running for office was not originally on my vision board. Over time, it became clear to me that if we want meaningful change, we have to be willing to serve where decisions are being made. In healthcare, I see every day how stable housing, food access, preventative care, and economic opportunity shape people’s lives. Our wellbeing starts with the systems and policies. I want our county to make practical, forward-looking decisions that prevent problems before they become crises.
I want Whatcom to be a place where working families can build a good life and feel confident about their future. I want residents to feel heard and to know their voices matter. Government should feel accessible and responsive. I believe in supporting programs that are working well and thoughtfully improving those that need updating, always with long-term sustainability in mind.
What do you like to do with your free time?
Elizabeth Boyle: My perfect day starts with a great cup of coffee followed by a super long day of hiking. Whether I’m out with friends, family, or by myself, there’s something about the steady rhythm of hiking that brings me such joy. No matter what’s on my mind when I start, I always come home lighter.
Jessica Rienstra: I enjoy gardening, painting, reading, and spending time outdoors, exploring nature, and hanging out with my pets. I also like learning new skills and tend to take on a lot of home projects.
I love being on the water and going fishing. I even spent a summer fishing in Alaska to help pay for nursing school. Being outside and close to nature has always grounded me. Most of all, I value time with family and friends. I love good music, a good laugh, and staying connected to the people around me.
 Final approval of the Comprehensive Plan is the responsibility of the County Council.
On January 22, the Whatcom County Planning Commission held a public hearing and issued final recommendations on Whatcom County’s Comprehensive Plan Update, the lengthy, once-per-decade process to review and revise the county’s primary policy and goal-setting document.
With Planning Commission’s review complete, final approval of the Comprehensive Plan is the responsibility of the County Council. Over the next several months, Council will continue to review, discuss, and amend individual chapters of the plan, with the goal of holding a final public hearing and vote on the entire plan in early summer.
The purpose of the Comprehensive Plan Update is to identify a collective vision for the county’s future growth and establish policies that support the county’s goals for housing, utilities, transportation, the environment, and other key topics.
Planning is guided by the requirements of the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA), which sets goals for reducing sprawl, ensuring the availability of adequate housing, encouraging economic development, developing climate resiliency, and more.
Input from county residents and advisory groups ensures that the plan is grounded in the values, priorities, and needs of the local community. Community members are welcome to attend and speak to the Council about the Comprehensive Plan during the following Special Committee of the Whole meetings*:
- Tuesday, March 3
- Tuesday, March 17
- Tuesday, March 24
- Tuesday, April 7
Meeting agendas will be published approximately one week prior to the scheduled meeting. Check the Legislative Information Center for additional information.
Feedback on the Comprehensive Plan Update can also be shared by addressing councilmembers during Open Session at any regularly scheduled evening Council meeting or by emailing Council@co.whatcom.wa.us.
*Schedule is tentative and subject to change
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