Nancy Isserlis appointed to PDC

Spokane attorney Nancy L. Isserlis is the newest member of the Public Disclosure Commission.

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Isserlis to the Commission on Jan. 3.

"Nancy's long history of civic leadership, legal expertise and her on-the-ground knowledge of campaign finance disclosure will be great additions to the PDC," Inslee said.

Isserlis is a lawyer with Winston & Cashatt, a firm she rejoined after serving four years as Spokane City Attorney. She has been in practice in Spokane since 1981, focusing on insolvency, restructuring and commercial practice.

She has chaired or managed dozens of campaigns, and has assisted many candidates with meeting disclosure requirements.

"I understand the important work the PDC does to make information available to voters so they can make informed decisions when they cast their ballots," she said. "I look forward to assisting the PDC through a new lens as a commissioner."

PDC Chair David Ammons said Isserlis joins the Commission at a pivotal time.

"We welcome Nancy's skills and insights as the Commission launches new initiatives this year that are designed to ensure that Washington continues to lead the nation in campaign finance disclosure," Ammons said.

He cited the commission's Jan. 16 public forum on digital political advertising as one example of the Commission's leadership. "We want to examine the growing influence of online political advertising and how best the Commission can ensure voters have the information they need to make informed decisions," Ammons said.

Isserlis, a graduate of Linfield College and Gonzaga University School of Law, served as the Regional Directing Attorney for Columbia Legal Services for five years. She is a board member for Pioneer Human Services and the Endowment for Equal Justice, and is a past member of the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors.

Her appointment to the Public Disclosure Commission runs through Dec. 31, 2024.

Isserlis succeeds Anne Levinson on the Commission. During Levinson's five-year term on the Commission which included three terms as its chair she advocated for legislation to strengthen the state's campaign finance laws and the PDC's authority.

Under the leadership of Levinson and Executive Director Peter Frey Lavallee, the agency received funding to dramatically decrease its backlog of enforcement cases and to expand public access to information about campaigns, lobbyists and elected officials. It also overhauled rules to more quickly resolve complaints, launched new electronic applications for filers and partnered with the Attorney General's Office on litigation against serious violators.

Levinson said "Nancy is a terrific choice to continue building on the reforms of the last several years, to tackle the next set of challenges, and to ensure compliance with and equitable enforcement of the law, particularly at a time when the role of states in regulating campaign finance has become increasingly important."