MUKILTEO—Ilona Van Duser was unanimously appointed to the Mukilteo City Council to fill the Position 5 vacancy left by the resignation of Mike Dixon. All council members expressed deep gratitude and appreciation for every applicant who stepped forward.
“I also want to express my appreciation for all the people who applied to be on the Council,” Council Vice President Richard Emery said. “It’s an arduous process… I really appreciate people willing to step forward and want to be part of the community and help the community this way.”
Seven residents applied to fill the vacancy created by the April resignation of Councilmember Dixon, who stepped down citing increased professional demands and family commitments.
Newly appointed Van Duser retired in 2023 after serving as senior IT/cybersecurity manager at Premera Blue Cross from 1997 to 2023. In senior management roles she oversaw multi-million-dollar budgets, made high-stakes decisions on the security of member data and business systems, and negotiated contracts with national vendors. No education details were provided in her application.
Her community activities include serving as chair/vice chair of the Mukilteo DEI Commission (2024-present), active member of Mukilteo Kiwanis (2024-present) and executive board member of the Mukilteo Seniors Association (2026-present). She volunteered extensively in the Mukilteo school district from 2000 to 2012 and campaigned for City Council Position 1 in 2025.
Van Duser has consistently attended City Council meetings since 2023. She identified waterfront development, fiscal responsibility and the future of the fire department as key issues facing the council. Her approach would involve asking questions, thorough research, robust discussions with colleagues and arriving at defensible, consensus-driven decisions. She said she is ready to “hit the ground running.”
The Vote
From the seven applicants, the top four interviewed on Monday, May 18, were Ilona Van Duser, Ashvin Sanghvi, Riaz Khan, and David Schlosser. Each council member then selected their top two, then voted for their final choice.
Round 1: Top 2 picks
• Bob Champion: Ilona Van Duser, David Schlosser
• Don Doran: Ashvin Sanghvi, Ilona Van Duser
• Donna Vago: David Schlosser, Ashvin Sanghvi
• Jason Moon: Ilona Van Duser, Ashvin Sanghvi
• Richard Emery: Ilona Van Duser, Ashvin Sanghvi
• James Sterba: David Schlosser, Ashvin Sanghvi
The tally for each semi-finalist was:
• Ashvin Sanghvi – 5
• Ilona Van Duser – 4
• David Schlosser – 3
• Riaz Khan – 0
Round 2: Final pick
• Bob Champion: Ilona Van Duser
• Don Doran: Ilona Van Duser
• Donna Vago: Ashvin Sanghvi
• Jason Moon: Ilona Van Duser
• Richard Emery: Ilona Van Duser
• James Sterba: Ashvin Sanghvi
The tally for each finalist was:
• Ilona Van Duser – 4
• Ashvin Sanghvi – 2
Author: Mario Lotmore
