Royce Pollard
Encyclopedia
Royce Pollard was the six-term mayor of Vancouver, Washington
, the fourth largest city in Washington state. After a career as a U.S. Army officer ending in the late 1980s, he served a seven-year stint on the City Council. He was first elected mayor in the mid-1990s, and stepped down as mayor in January 2010, after losing a reelection race to Tim Leavitt
.
, Pollard served in the U.S. Army beginning in 1961, including deployment during the Vietnam War
; he is a member of the American Legion
and the Vietnam Veterans of America
. His final post was as Commander
of the Vancouver Barracks, from which he retired in 1988. Subsequently, the Pollard family settled in Vancouver and he was elected to the City Council a year later in 1989. Pollard is married, and has two sons.
, Pollard was first elected mayor in January 1996. He then served consecutive terms as mayor until 2010. Cumulatively, he held public office in the city for around 20 years, shaping much of its development in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His most notable exploits have been a major revival of Vancouver's once-dilapidated downtown core, shepherding the city's growth by 100,000 residents, and championing a controversial project to replace the Interstate Bridge
and expand the MAX Light Rail system in to Clark County
. In addition to mass transit, Pollard has long supported green
modes of transportation such as walking and biking
.
Throughout his tenure, Mayor Pollard was a promoter of the moniker of "America's Vancouver" for the city, in order to differentiate it from the larger but younger city of Vancouver, British Columbia. The mayor was also a staunch defender of Vancouver's independence from nearby Portland, Oregon
. In a highly publicized gesture in 2005, he purchased and destroyed coffee mugs with Portland logos at Vancouver Starbucks
after the company failed to remove them from stores.
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, the fourth largest city in Washington state. After a career as a U.S. Army officer ending in the late 1980s, he served a seven-year stint on the City Council. He was first elected mayor in the mid-1990s, and stepped down as mayor in January 2010, after losing a reelection race to Tim Leavitt
Tim Leavitt
-Personal life, education and career:Leavitt was born in Yakima, Washington and has lived in Clark County since 1980. He graduated from Fort Vancouver High School, then attended Clark College and Washington State University, where he received a masters degree in environmental engineering...
.
Early history
A native of Burlington, VermontBurlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, Pollard served in the U.S. Army beginning in 1961, including deployment during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
; he is a member of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and the Vietnam Veterans of America
Vietnam Veterans of America
Vietnam Veterans of America Inc. is a national non-profit corporation founded in 1978 in the United States that promotes the interests of United States military veterans of the Vietnam War era. It is funded without any contribution from any branch of government...
. His final post was as Commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
of the Vancouver Barracks, from which he retired in 1988. Subsequently, the Pollard family settled in Vancouver and he was elected to the City Council a year later in 1989. Pollard is married, and has two sons.
As mayor
After serving for seven years on the City CouncilCity council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, Pollard was first elected mayor in January 1996. He then served consecutive terms as mayor until 2010. Cumulatively, he held public office in the city for around 20 years, shaping much of its development in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His most notable exploits have been a major revival of Vancouver's once-dilapidated downtown core, shepherding the city's growth by 100,000 residents, and championing a controversial project to replace the Interstate Bridge
Interstate Bridge
The Interstate Bridge is a pair of nearly identical steel vertical-lift, through-truss bridges that carry Interstate 5 traffic over the Columbia River between Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, in the United States...
and expand the MAX Light Rail system in to Clark County
Clark County, Washington
Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...
. In addition to mass transit, Pollard has long supported green
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
modes of transportation such as walking and biking
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
.
Throughout his tenure, Mayor Pollard was a promoter of the moniker of "America's Vancouver" for the city, in order to differentiate it from the larger but younger city of Vancouver, British Columbia. The mayor was also a staunch defender of Vancouver's independence from nearby Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. In a highly publicized gesture in 2005, he purchased and destroyed coffee mugs with Portland logos at Vancouver Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
after the company failed to remove them from stores.