Biography

Larry was born and raised in Seattle, Washington with his two sisters, Sarah and Anne. His parents Margery and the late John Phillips instilled in him a love for learning and an active interest in his community. His father was an architect and United States Naval Officer, serving in the Pacific in WWII, and his mother wrote for the Seattle Times and began their "Home of the Month" feature, called "Northwest Living." He grew up in Mount Baker and Magnolia, where he still lives with his family. Larry and his wife Gail sent their son Brett off to college in the fall of 2004.

Larry attended Queen Anne High School and the University of Washington. He also earned a Juris Doctor degree from Willamette University College of Law in 1976, graduating with honors and finishing in the top ten percent of his class.

Public Service
Larry first entered public service in 1977 when he moved to Washington, D.C. to work for Senator Henry M. "Scoop"Jackson. His primary staffing responsibilities were labor and tax issues. In 1981, he earned a Masters of Law degree with emphasis in Labor Law from the George Washington University National Law Center.

Later that year Larry returned to Seattle to run Randy Revelle's campaign for King County Executive. Revelle won the election, and Larry served as his Chief of Staff until 1986. He learned about every aspect of King County government as he advised the Executive on all major policy, programmatic, and political decisions. After Revelle left office, Larry served as Executive Director of a 55-member Seattle law firm, Shidler McBroom Gates & Lucas.

Larry's interest in public service never waned, and in 1988 he ran and won election to the Washington State House of Representatives. He went to Olympia to represent the 36th Legislative District, where he served for two terms as a member of the House Education, Local Government, Environmental Affairs, and Revenue Committees. He was an author and a prime sponsor of the 1990 Growth Management Act, as well as legislation to prevent oil spills in Puget Sound. He also fought successfully for smaller class sizes in public schools and adequate funding for K-12 education.

Metropolitan King County Council
In November 1991, Larry won his seat on the Metropolitan King County Council to represent District Four. He took on salmon protection, land use and environmental issues, as well as the provision of open space and active parks and recreation for youth and families. He spearheaded the Waterways 2000 program, which identified and acquired over 1,800 acres of prime salmon habitat for preservation. His work as chair of the Regional Water Quality Committee led to the adoption of the Regional Wastewater Services Plan. The plan provides for construction of a third wastewater treatment plant (Brightwater) in order to protect our natural environment and water quality, while allowing economic development to continue within the urban growth area.

Larry also worked to establish the Snoqualmie Preservation Initiative, working with non-profit and private organizations and local officials to protect views of Snoqualmie Falls and preserve acres of forestland. Larry also helped lead the successful effort to acquire the Snoqualmie Forest, preserving over 100,000 acres of prime King County forest lands in perpetuity.

Larry was humbled & honored to be named the 2001 Public Official of the Year by the Municipal League of Seattle for his leadership in protecting and enhancing the quality of life and protecting our natural resources in King County through his work on land preservation and growth management.

In 2002 and 2003, he chaired the Council's Budget & Fiscal Management Committee, turning his primary focus to preserving vital County services in the face of the a staggering budget crisis in the general fund.

In December 2003, Larry's colleagues unanimously elected him chair of the council. He was re-elected chair for 2005 and 2006. During his tenure as chair, his responsibilities included setting the agenda for and presiding over weekly council meetings, ensuring the daily work of the council was accomplished, and representing the council on various outside committees.

In 2008, Larry returned to presiding over the County's budget as chair of the Council's Budget Review and Adoption Committee as well as the Capital Budget Committee. Larry continues to work on environmental protection issues through chairing the Council's Regional Water Quality Committee.

Larry also serves on several outside committees, including the Sound Transit Board of Directors and the Woodland Park Zoo Society Board of Directors. He co-chairs the Cedar River Council, which brings together citizen and government representatives who have an interest in the health of the river and its upper watershed, which supplies drinking water to Seattle. Larry is  vice chair of the WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council, where citizens, scientists, businesses, environmentalists and governments are cooperating on salmon protection, conservation and restoration projects and plans. Larry also serves on the 4Culture Board, King County's arts and heritage agency. He is also on the board of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.