Mukilteo City Council has appointed Randy Lord to serve as council president in 2013. He ran unopposed.

Lord takes the chair from Richard Emery, who had been president for the last two years.

On the council since 2006, Lord said he is honored to represent the council as president this year.

“As council president, I’ll work hard to be an objective, neutral representative for the council with dialogues with the mayor and staff,” he said.

His goal for 2013 is to create a trusting, supportive team that works hard for the best interests of Mukilteo. Lord said he will work to be a fair and objective advocate for the council’s priorities.

Those priorities, he said, include the Tank Farm transfer, waterfront development, fighting Paine Field commercialization and growing the Rosehill Community Center.

“All of this will be carefully managed with increased and continued emphasis on a sustainable, responsible budget, with an eye on both short and long term, considering both capital and operational issues,” he said.

Lord previously served as president from 2008-2010.

Linda Grafer was appointed to serve as vice president. She ran against Jennifer Gregerson, who was vice president for the last two years.

Mayor Joe Marine broke a 3-3 tie between Grafer and Gregerson with his vote for Grafer.

“I believe you haven’t served in either of those capacities before,” Marine said to Grafer, “although I know Gregerson would do just as fine a job this year as she did last year.”

Grafer is serving her second term on the council, having first been elected in 2007. This will be her first year serving as an officer.

Lord and Grafer worked together for 16 years on the city’s Parks & Arts Commission. Grafer was chair of the commission for 20 years.

Grafer said she looks forward to working with Lord again, this time taking second chair.

She said her one and only goal is the same as it’s always been – to serve the best interests of Mukilteo.

“It has been my privilege to serve my community and to watch it grow and flourish,” Grafer said. “This is just one more opportunity to modestly serve Mukilteo and its citizens.”

Emily Vanderwielen nominated both Lord and Grafer.

The mayor jokingly said to Emery after the vote: “As is tradition, I will probably [still] call you Council President Emery several times.”

Emery: “I would feel slighted if you didn’t.”