Steffanie's family of four standing outside in a garden. The parents are positioned behind their two young sons. The mother is wearing a light blue jacket, and the father is in a dark blue sweater. Both boys are wearing casual blue tops and jeans.

Meet Steffanie

Experienced Regional Leadership

I’m a longtime South King County resident and nonprofit leader, working parent, PTSA and community volunteer, healthcare and employment attorney, and youth basketball coach raising my family here in South King County.

As an 18-year breast cancer survivor, I am deeply dedicated to ensuring equitable access to healthcare because I know firsthand how critical it is for individuals and families.

For the last 11 years, I have proudly represented South King County on the Board of Trustees for Harborview Medical Center, serving for the last 5 years as President of the Harborview Board. In this role,  I’ve guided the most critical public hospital in the region — overseeing a $1.7 billion budget for the institution that serves our most vulnerable King County residents, regardless of income or insurance status. I have also led efforts to reduce barriers to healthcare and to expand access to essential services.

As a healthcare and employment attorney, I help employees and employers navigate complex federal and state laws to create safer workplaces.

Giving back to the community is at the heart of everything I do, and I stay deeply connected to our community through my volunteer efforts. I had the privilege of serving for eight years on the board of Trillium Employment Services, a critical South King County nonprofit that helps businesses recruit, train and advance employees with developmental disabilities. I was also a founding member of the MultiCare South King Health Foundation.

Harborview Medical Center—King County’s public hospital operated by UW Medicine—is Washington’s only Level I adult & pediatric trauma and verified burn center, Seattle/King County’s disaster-control hospital, and a safety-net for all.

Foundation of Community Service

King County is the place that provided my family an opportunity to succeed. A second-generation Korean American, I have been a King County resident for most of my life. My mother immigrated to the United States in 1974 with limited English but the courage to embrace the American dream after meeting my dad, who was a military security policeman in the U.S. Army, in South Korea. 

My parents worked long hours to provide and care for my siblings and me, yet still found the time (and energy!) to volunteer each week at their local church in Seattle.

My parents’ perseverance shaped the foundation of our family, instilling in me the values of hard work and community service.  

Breast Cancer Survivor and Advocate

After graduating from college and unsure of my career path, I worked as a receptionist and a paralegal at a law firm in Seattle until I received a life-changing breast cancer diagnosis when I was 26 years old.

While recovering from surgery, I applied for law school, driven by a desire to advocate for others.  During law school, I also served as a judicial extern at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

Since then, I’ve become a strong advocate for expanding access to preventive care and early detection programs. No one should face barriers to screenings that can save lives.

Reducing Barriers to Healthcare Access

Currently serving my fifth term as President of the Harborview Board, I work tirelessly to ensure that Harborview continues to provide critical services for our region and to support the incredible nurses and healthcare workers who protect our families and our community.

I also serve on the University of Washington Medicine Advisory Board, where I help shape strategies to improve access and integration across the UW healthcare system. Every step of the way, my focus remains on ensuring that our systems work for everyone, no matter their circumstances.

Youth Sports Coach and PTSA Volunteer

I enjoy coaching youth basketball at Des Moines Parks & Recreation and baseball through the South Highline National Little League, running long miles throughout South King County (I have completed 55 half-marathons), and helping out at my children’s public school.  I am an active PTSA member, chaperoning field trips, lending a hand in the classrooms, and supporting our incredible teachers however I can.

Deep Roots in South King County

I live in Normandy Park with my husband, Joe, our two boys, Moxon and Lincoln (fifth generation Washingtonians!), Waffles (our Mini-Schnauzer/Yorkie mix), and Rocky (our sweet rescue cat). Moxon and Lincoln are fortunate to have both sets of grandparents and their cousins live within several miles. 

Joe’s parents were educators who gave over 80 years of their lives to public education in the Highline and Tukwila School Districts.

Vote Steffanie Fain for King County Council, District 5!

South King County needs more than well-intentioned ideas: we need practical, regional solutions to our issues: affordability, public safety, and homelessness. 

We need to ensure accountability while still addressing opportunity gaps, racial and financial inequities, and the behavioral health crisis.  We must reassess how we address these challenges, ensuring our communities are affordable and safe.

Together, I firmly believe we can challenge the status quo and make King County a place where everyone can succeed.

I’d be honored to have your vote and support in our campaign for King County Council, District 5.