Georgette Vikingstad Valle

Georgette comes from humble beginnings as the daughter of a farmer and teacher. She married Dr. Odd Valle, but decided to pave her own path in 1960. She made her first run for the Washington Legislature in 1962, and succeeded in securing her spot in 1964. She blossomed from a homemaker to becoming an alternate candidate to the Democratic National Convention that nominated John F. Kennedy. One of the toughest times in office was her push for smoking bans in public, the Clean Indoor Air Act. She handled the backlash with grace, even when envelopes filled with ashes were mailed to her door and people blew smoke into her face on the street. “I didn’t even notice. I just went on speaking,” Valle said. She’s a woman of principal and represents what it means to have inner strength and perseverance to achieve greatness.