The CSG West family is mourning the loss of former Washington Representative Sherry Appleton, who represented her state’s 23rd district from 2005-2021. A member of the Western Legislative Academy Class of 2007 and the CSG Toll Fellowship Class of 2008, Representative Appleton was highly engaged with CSG West throughout her legislative tenure. She served as chair of the Public Safety Committee (2019-2020), a member of the Executive Committee (2015-2020), and twice as a member of the Canada Relations Committee. She also attended each of the CSG West Annual Meeting from 2015 – 2020.
During 16 years in the Washington House of Representatives, Representative Appleton was elected to chair two committees – Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs, and Local Government. Representative Appleton was honored as Legislator of the Year by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and as Humane Legislator of the Year by the Washington State Humane Society. Upon her retirement in 2021, she described some of her legislative highlights as drafting and passing Washington’s patient bill of rights and helping to create the state’s “Silver Alert.”
Representative Appleton was also appointed by Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to serve as an advisor to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Further, she was appointed to the Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission and chaired the Commission’s Juvenile Sentencing Committee.
CSG West expresses its sincere condolences to the family and colleagues of former Representative Appleton, along with others who had the opportunity to know and collaborate with her over the years. A true embodiment of public service, she will be deeply missed.
For further reading about the life of Former Representative Appleton, please see this news story.