Islanders unite behind Mark Cavener

Mark Cavener invites you to support his candidacy with your write-in vote for 34th Legislative District, Position 2. "The greatest parts of my life have been about learning the power of collaboration and in so doing, truly being of service to my community," says Cavener, Vashon father, record producer and non-profit leader.

Eagerly anticipating next week’s August 7 primary election, Cavener appeared calm as he sat in the backroom of Vashon’s Nirvana restaurant, reflecting upon what motivates him to enter politics.

Believe it or not, Cavener’s career and political aspirations are sourced most deeply by his work for the Vashon-Maury Cooperative Preschool.

Cavener rejoiced in tales of learning the trade of parenting and teaching with other young families and driving each other’s kids to school and back every week. For years, islanders were used to seeing Cavener and his daughter hand-in-hand at the north-end ferry dock. He

was that bald guy with the cute blonde girl often spotted with a gaggle of other Vashon kids at the beach or Ober Park.

In a single word, Cavener explained how he bridged those trust-building skills into accomplishments in the entertainment industry: "Inspiration. I embodied the core of what I learned in co-op preschool and poured it into the music industry, which was hungry for a new model and a new purpose."

Cavener founded Oasis Entertainment in 2006, a non-profit record label and production company to assist charitable organizations by collaborating with well-known recording artists and producing benefit concerts and albums. It was his work in this organization that led to Cavener being invited by Mandela Dlamini & Associates to develop the United States affiliate of Ubuntu Institute with the Prince of Swaziland and the grandson of Nelson Mandela in 2008 and to then becoming the first record label to be invited to join the United Nations as an associate member through the Conference of NGOs. His skills at developing community-based organizations were tapped again in 2011 to develop the Washington Domestic Violence Commission where he has served as the Executive Director since 2011. Currently he represents the organization in the protection order workgroup for the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee.

"It wasn’t possible to go to the moon when JFK suggested we could go there; think about that for a bit. He stood up there and told the world: ‘We’re going to the moon.’ He said this at a time when nobody really though that was possible, but somehow everyone rallied behind that dream which allowed for it to happen." Cavener continues, "Whether your dream is to actually go to the moon or start a business, raise a family, go to college, buy a house or just enjoy your retirement, it’s a lot easier when we’re supporting each other to achieve these things together. Our local government should support these things, not stifle them."

Drawing from this kind of inspiration, he has gained the trust of many families in his community, international leaders in government and business and even launched Oprah Winfrey’s newest program on XM radio. "Now my career has come full circle; I’m bringing these skills back to where they started and asking for the opportunity to use them in service to this community."

Editor Note: The preceding article was submitted by the campaign for Mark Cavener. The Loop is not endorsing any candidate in this race.