About Lisa Parshley

Lisa took the long way to public office. Before she was elected to anything, she trained first as a research scientist, earning a doctorate in biochemistry from Oregon Health Sciences University, doing post-doctoral work at the University of Washington, and spending two years in biotech research. Then she went back to school to become a veterinarian and, through her residency at Michigan State, a board-certified veterinary oncologist. What she learned across those careers was not just about science but the practice of being a healer: how to listen carefully, explain difficult things in plain language, and sit with people through hard moments.

She is the former co-owner of Olympia Veterinary Specialists, which grew from the Olympia Veterinary Cancer Center (founded in 2010). Running a small business in Olympia for more than a decade shaped how she thinks about the cost of doing things right: payroll, training, equipment, the price of medicine, and the ethical treatment of the people who do the work. 

Her elected service grew out of the same habit of showing up and doing the work. She was first elected to the Olympia City Council in 2017 and reelected in 2021. She served on the council from 2018 until 2024, when voters sent her to the State House. Her council work focused on the city's finances, public safety, and climate planning, and included a turn as president of the LOTT Clean Water Alliance board. 

In the State House, she represents the 22nd Legislative District as Vice Chair of the House Capital Budget Committee. Her other assignments include Health Care and Wellness, time on the finance committee, Local Government, and the Universal Health Care Commission. She also serves on several interstate committees via the Council of State Governments, Energy and the Grid, and the Legislative Council on River Governance. 

In her first term in office, she focused on practical fixes. House Bill 1186, which she sponsored, is now law. It allows hospitals and emergency rooms to send patients home with a full course of medication rather than a 48-hour supply, cutting costs for families, reducing medical waste, and helping Washingtonians living in pharmacy deserts. In 2026, she fought and voted for the Millionaires' Tax to fund free school meals, sales tax exemptions for over-the-counter medications and hygiene products, and the expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit. She has also championed bargaining rights for public employees facing the rollout of AI in their workplaces, dedicated funding for affordable housing, and a stronger universal health care system in Washington State.

Outside her elected work, Lisa has volunteered at Covenant Creatures, organized community cancer-prevention and research fundraisers for going on 15 years, and supported Expanding Your Horizons, a program that encourages young women to pursue careers in science and math.

At Thurston County's annual point-in-time homeless count, Lisa Parshley has staffed the animal health tent since 2018, treating the pets of people who are sleeping outside. She has also run vaccine clinics in tiny home villages and other stabilization sites around Olympia.

Yes, Lisa took the long way to public service, but today she uses these experiences to inform policy in the legislature. Drawing on lessons from her work in science, medicine, and elected public service, she knows that science must be combined with compassion and that listening to the community and all impacted people ensures sound policy. She knows a healthy community is a community where people thrive, not just survive, and that to achieve communities where all are lifted up, we need a holistic vision of what can be and the willingness to put in the hard work to achieve this goal.