Who is Debbie Sullivan? The former ranked poker player is first female mayor of Tumwater

Debbie Sullivan never saw herself running for public office. But then again, before being elected the first female mayor of the city of Tumwater this year, she was no stranger to bringing her own seat to the table in more ways than one.

Following in the footsteps of longtime Mayor Pete Kmet’s 30-year tenure in public service, Sullivan knew that her experience as a two-term council member and 10 years on the Planning Commission qualified her to succeed him.

“The community is so important to me,” she said. “I think once you’re on the council and on the planning commission, it becomes a part of you.”

Sullivan said she’s always done things that women have been traditionally told not to do. Possibly the most surprising is her status as a former nationally ranked tournament poker player.

Know when to hold ‘em

Sullivan’s hobby began as a way to connect with her son while he was stationed in Iraq in the early 2000s. She said she thinks it got the two of them through the separation and anxiety of him being overseas. What started out as light online fun turned into much more when her son returned home and invited her to a real poker tournament. He placed second and she didn’t do too bad herself.

When she first started playing, Sullivan, 67, said there’d only be a handful of women in groups of 150 players. She found that women in the field were taught to fold their hands when they have a winning chance. They’re told to be submissive. Don’t call someone’s bluff.

“Yet we also have a very good skill of identifying and watching people and being able to read people better than a lot of others,” she said. “So in that, I have learned to find my voice, know when I have a winning hand and not fold it way too early, and to just be able to manage in society.”

In 2007, Sullivan was invited to compete in the World Championship Ladies Event No Limit Hold’em in Las Vegas following a win at the Northwest women’s poker championship. She placed 82nd out of more than 2,100 players, making her a nationally-ranked poker player.

“It’s more than just playing a game,” she said. “It really does hone in on some of the things we were taught not to do as children.”

Now when she plays, she said she often notices half the table are women. She has a TED Talk planned for the future to be able to share these experiences and insights.

Sullivan said when she finds something she’s good at and enjoys doing, she’ll push that thing as far as it will go. She likes competition, but really only with herself.

Growing up in Montana

Growing up on a ranch in Montana where her family homesteaded in the 1880s, Sullivan often tested the boundaries of what her family would put up with from her. She was an active horseback rider as a child, and grew up into a more daring teenager who raced sports cars.

“I always learned a lot about myself in everything I did,” she said.

Sullivan recognizes it’s always been difficult for women to get into leadership roles. But she believes the city of Tumwater has worked to have women in director and manager positions.

She said having equity and inclusion in the city is a priority for her, and she’s excited for the work the city council will do in the coming years since it is the most diverse it’s ever been. She hopes council members will be more approachable now because the community may see them as more representative.

One of Sullivan’s main priorities has been to create a smooth transition from Kmet’s leadership to hers. She thinks the biggest difference between her and Kmet is that he comes from an engineering background and she is a program project manager, so the way they may view and talk about issues will be different.

Protecting Tumwater’s future

Sullivan said she’s prioritizing relationship building by meeting every city employee within the first 100 days in office, which has made for a busy schedule. She said she’s also continuing to meet with different groups, organizations and city leaders around Thurston County to build better relationships and establish open communication.

Sullivan has a long history of work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors, with time as a small business owner, a state worker with the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises and more. She hopes her experience will help her build relationships with local leaders.

She also knows the community worries that Tumwater could lose its identity as it continues to grow alongside Lacey and Olympia.

She believes the key is to focus on being a brewing and distilling hub. But things are changing quickly and the city’s population is growing. Sullivan said she understands the fear of change, but she will work to minimize those fears as the city evolves.

“I’m not afraid to make bold moves and to go places I’m not necessarily comfortable,” she said. “But if I feel like it’s the right thing to do for the benefit of the community, I’ll at least look at it. I’m not afraid of testing the limits sometimes.”