Service. A life's work. 

Ellen resides on Lake Howard near Stanwood, where she grew up. She graduated from Stanwood High School in 1983 where she was active in the high school newspaper, band, and other events that put her in every parade in the region.

She moved on to get a bachelor's in Mass Communications and Political Science, with a minor in economics from Central Washington University. From there she worked as a reporter and features editor at the Skagit Valley Herald and the Whidbey News-Times as a features editor, covering schools, and general reporting. While on Whidbey she raised a family, rearing two teen-age daughters to graduate from Coupeville High School. She volunteered with 4-H, taught 5th grade students to write for the newspaper, and served on the board of the local low-income health clinic.

After nearly 10 years in journalism she moved on to work a few years in marketing before starting her own consulting business, Hiatt Watson Writing and Design, which she has been doing for the past 8 years.

Working independently matched with the opportunity to raise a young family, which she started in 2002. Raising two little ones while working from home presents its own challenges, but Ellen has been grateful for the chance to provide for her family while being there for her children's earliest years -- years she felt she missed with the twins.

After moving back to her hometown, the Watson family started building their own home on the lake. Their daughter, Grace, attends Kindergarten, while James is in preschool. Ellen manages to juggle her family and consulting business with 7-Lakes, a non-profit she formed to help preserve rural lands. Because of her involvement in land use issues, she's also been appointed as a citizen member representing rural citizens on Snohomish County Tomorrow's Steering Committee. The committee is made up of elected representatives of our county and of every city. She is also on the stakeholder committee formed by the Snohomish County Council to review the codes for Fully Contained Communities, rural-based cities.

She looks forward to putting that energy to work for the citizens of Snohomish County as your elected representative.

 

 

 Family. There's nothing more important. 

Despite hearing that "blood is thicker than water,"  it is not blood that makes a family for Ellen. It's love. And it is the love for her family, her community and her fellow man that motivates her.

Ellen raised two twin daughters from the time they were 11 years old, bringing them up to be the beautiful women they are today. Natalie lives with her husband Ryan in Marysville, with their children Kaitlyn and Dylan. Her twin sister, Marissa, lives with her husband Scott in Illinois, with Jacob and Alicia. Ellen raised the twins on Whidbey Island, where she worked at the local newspaper.

In 2002 she married Jon Watson and later that year they had Grace in Coupeville. In 2004 the couple was blessed with James, who was born in Everett.

Ellen and her family returned to the Stanwood area after her father died. They now live on Lake Howard, with their new home beside her mother's and brother's, on the lake where the two siblings learned to swim. Ellen was one of six siblings, raised by July and Regina Hiatt.