Egusquiza-Stanek runs for commissioner

Mary Egusquiza-Stanek has announced her candidacy for District 1 Elmore County Commissioner on the Democratic Party ticket.

Craig McCurry, who is seeking election to the Idaho Legislature, is vacating the seat.

Egusquiza-Stanek was born in Glenns Ferry in 1952 to Alipio and Violet Egusquiza. Alipio was an Engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. She and her family later relocated and purchased the local Hammett General Store.

In addition to living in Glenns Ferry and Hammett, Egusquiza-Stanek has held residence in Grand View, and currently owns recreational property in Atlanta. In 1975, then Mary Munoz and her husband, Adam, moved to Mountain Home to raise their three children, Lisa, Mike and Becky Munoz. All three children graduated from Mountain Home High School.

Lisa is married and has three children. She graduated from BSU with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in School Counseling. She currently works for Ada County juvenile Court as a Probation Officer.

Michael enlisted in the Marine Corps immediately after high school and served for five years. He has one daughter and is currently working on the Wye Project in Boise for Central Paving Construction Company.

Becky relocated to Santa Monica California where she is working towards a degree in both Chemistry and Spanish. Egusquiza-Stanek, her husband, Robert Stanek and two stepsons, Travis and Josh Stanek, maintain primary residence in Mountain Home.

Robert is employed by the Civil Engineering Department at the Mountain Home Air Force Base and has been an Elmore County resident since 1975.

Both Travis and Josh attend Mountain Home High School and are active in many sporting activities, to include football and basketball.

While raising her children, Egusquiza-Stanek said that she has been involved in many community activities. She was a group leader for the Campfire Girls Organization for eight years. She has been a member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, the Ladies Golf Association, and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish. She chaired and/or was involved in the committee for several years for "Paint the Town" and two years for the Mountain Home High School Senior Celebration.

Egusquiza-Stanek was active in establishing the Western Elmore County Recreation District.

"This will benefit the community and it's youth by providing a recreation facility," she said.

Egusquiza-Stanek started her professional career in the Recorder's Office at the Elmore County Courthouse. In 1983, Dennis Wetherell hired her to work at Guaranty Title, where she maintained employment for 18 years. Egusquliza-Stanek retired from her position as Manager of the Title Department and Senior Title Officer in 2001. She said that during her professional career, she has been able to develop good working relationships with all Elmore County agencies. Although new to the political arena, Egusquiza-Stanek noted that she has been "a youth, parent, private citizen and professional in this community her entire life."

She said that she would bring to the job her "ability to work easily and vigorously with the public, the perseverance to get the job done and the desire to do what is best for Elmore County, and its communities.

"I'm a hands-on-person. If elected, I would be working for the people of Elmore County and owe them the best job I can do."

When asked about some of the County Commission's recent controversies, Egusquiza-Stanek said she wants to run a positive campaign, focusing on what she can bring to the office, not on what has been done in the past.

Some items on her agenda include implementing the emergency 911 system, developing plans for courthouse security, and technology upgrades.

She plans to research the needs of the county jail and issues surrounding CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operations). "We are in a day and age where there needs to be better communication and technology, especially in a county spread out over so many square miles."

She said that she encourages voters to get in touch with her on those and other issues. She will be attempting to communicate with voters one on one throughout her campaign, she said.

Egusquiza-Stanek said that her "life experience has taught me the importance of leadership, experience, attitude, and commitment. These values are vital to this position" and will enable her to create "a successful, productive commission and county."

Egusquiza-Stanek said that she is glad to be at a point in her life where she has both the time and energy to devote to the office if elected.

"It would be an honor to represent the interests of Elmore County as your commissioner."