I am writing in response to a letter that our family received this week from Councilmember Debbie Bertlin and state representative and Councilmember Tana Senn. Their statements about Kevin Scheid, the opponent of Dan Grausz, as having “virtually no record of civic involvement” and “whose business experience is limited” were personally disappointing, as they are not founded on actual knowledge of Kevin Scheid. Our family, who has known Kevin and the Scheid family for 18 years, feels that the comments in Bertlin and Senn’s letter are an unfortunate misrepresentation.

Kevin’s entire career has been in public service to his community. It began after graduating from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, when Kevin served for over 20 years in the Coast Guard, managing Maritime Search and Rescue for Washington and Oregon. Subsequently, as a citizen of Mercer Island, he has been extremely active in volunteer roles. Kevin’s civic involvement includes having served on the MIHS site council, as a member of the MIHS principal selection committee, and as president of the MI Girls Lacrosse Club. He has coached Mercer Island boys football and Little League baseball, mentored young men, chaired the board at his church for four years and volunteered for over 15 years with the Holiday Stockings for Homeless Children.

For the past several years, Kevin has been coaching leaders of homeless shelters and poverty relief agencies across the country, once again as a volunteer. As a person of high character, he is humble about his involvement and quietly goes about making a difference for others.

Civic involvement is a Scheid family ideal and Kevin fully supports his wife, Bobette, as she serves in numerous community roles. She is president of the Mercer Island Women’s Club, president of the Holiday Stockings for Homeless Children, and Northwest Regional Representative for Advocacy for Victims of Abuse.

Personally, I greatly appreciate Kevin’s dedication to being a guardian of our economic infrastructure through his career of military service, his years as a civic leader and as a person who selflessly serves others where there is a need.

Kathy Lopus