Twisp Mayor Soo Ing-Moody was honored recently as a “Woman of Valor” by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) at a dinner held at the Westin Hotel in Seattle.
Cantwell commended Ing-Moody for her “intelligence and dedication to providing for her constituents” and for her leadership during recent wildfires that threatened her community.
“I am sure that everyone here has seen images of the wildfires that ripped through our state earlier this year and last,” Cantwell said in her introduction of Ing-Moody.
“Those scenes of destruction were not just dramatic, they took an immense toll on the community that were impacted.”
Cantwell recounted how Ing-Moody moved to Twisp with her husband, Michael, and opened a bed-and-breakfast. She was appointed to a vacancy on the Twisp Council, and soon after that the mayor quit and she was appointed to that position.
“While head of this town, the worst wildfire in state history swept through her community. I first met Soo at a roundtable discussion in Twisp to provide an update on the fire suppression efforts and the services that were available to those impacted,” Cantwell said.
“Through the fires of adversity, Soo was tested and ultimately helped her community overcome the worst wildfires in our state’s history,” she said.
Four other women were also honored at the event, which featured Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell as speaker.
