I was born and raised in Skamania County, graduated from Stevenson High School in 1981 and have loved it all my life. In 1985 I decided to move to the Seattle area and begin work in my chosen profession – new home sales and marketing. After 27 years of success doing that and becoming a partner in a Windermere franchise in the Seattle area I decided to move back home with my wife to raise our kids in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge where I have so many wonderful and happy memories.

The health and welfare of the county and its people are important to me as I grew up with many of them whether they were friends, parents or grandparents of friends, and we all wish to maintain the lifestyle we enjoy here. To accomplish this we need to make changes together and that means it is about what the people that live here want. Some of the issues that confront us today are ones that we have encountered before and some are new. Jobs have always been a huge issue and one we need to continually address. One way to accomplish this is to attract technology type companies that provide jobs for us but also have a small “foot print” on our landscape. Unlike large manufacturing companies like the forest industry this County was fueled on in the twentieth century. Our history with the forest industry is a proud one and always should be but today we need to be competitive in the global economy for the kinds of businesses that make sense for our County.

Another issue is the land itself. We need to take care of it and be cautious not to create urban centers versus the rural nature of what is special about Skamania County. In my many years spent in the greater Seattle area I experienced expansion into rural type areas by the home building industry and saw those areas changed forever to more homes followed by more strip malls, congestions and other things that make up a more urban setting. This is not what the people of Skamania County want so we need to be good stewards of the natural beauty that surrounds us. Once it is changed it is changed forever.

COMMENT From BOB: I am pro-development in a smart and managed way meaning before we grant something we need to consider what it means to the county as a whole. I love the fact that we can work together to provide solid housing, modern conveniences, steady jobs with opportunity for all.

I want to see the public lands back open to the logging industry. It benefits Skamania County by providing jobs for our residents and money from the logging of the timber on the land in our county. This is one thing that the Feds have been “handing out” to us for years now and it is coming to an end. Let’s get back to not worrying about getting these funds that are so important to our County. If we lose this revenue we will have to make it up for things like our schools and that is a tax levy which no one if our county is used to paying for! Growing up I remember the fine schools we had and what we were able to provide the teachers and students. We as students of course did not realize it or probably even appreciate it then but we surely look back now and realize it.

Let us position Skamania County to be competitive in the global economy to attract those companies that benefit our lifestyle the best, it will not be easy but a task that I believe we need to work at.

About Bob Anderson:
BOB ANDERSON brings over 27 years’ experience in business with an emphasis on marketing and selling of homes, including past President & Managing Partner/Business Owner of Windermere OnSITE a Seattle based company that focused on new home single family, multi-family and condo towers both in downtown Seattle and the greater Puget Sound. In those 27 years Bob attained a thorough, overall knowledge of the processes including client relations, new business development, coaching/training, marketing research/analysis, new product design, business plans, negotiations, land acquisitions, short-/long-term planning and conducted seminars and training workshops. Bob brings a wealth of experience and proven expertise to provide logical and process oriented solutions that can make the difference in today’s climate. Bob is home in the Columbia River Gorge along with his wife Melissa to raise their children and be a part of this special place called the Gorge.

Beautiful rainy, snowy and cold weather is what we have been experiencing here in the gorge of late. It is always fascinating to live here with these freaky meteorlogical patterns! It is always different and as Forrest Gump said “you never quite know what you’re going to get”. Forrest would love the springtime as the rain and sun grow the grass fast, people around here love to get on their riding mowers and got to work – or is it play? It has been wet I guess because of the El Nineo pattern but then again nothing we are not used to…