Biography

Legislature:

House Education (2013–17, Ranking Member from 2014–17)
House Appropriations (2015–17)
House Technology & Economic Development (2013–17)
House Higher Education (2013–15)
House Rules (2013–15)
Assistant Minority Floor Leader (2013–14)
Technology Services Board (2013–17)
Joint Legislative Systems Committee (2013–17, Chair from 2014–16)
Joint Select Committee on Article IX Litigation (2014–17, Co-chair from 2015–17)
Quality Education Council (2013–15)
Career Education Opportunities Joint Legislative Task Force (2013–17)
Education Accountability System Oversight Committee (2013–17)
Legislative Task Force on School Siting (Co-chair, 2015–16)
Governor's Work Group on Education Funding (2015–16)
Education Funding Task Force (2016–17)

Major legislation passed:

HB 2375 (Cybercrime) – Prime sponsor, speaker at NCSL 2016
HB 1813 (Computer Science Education) – Republican co-sponsor w/ Rep. Drew Hansen
HB 1472 (Computer Science) – Sponsored committee substitute w/ Rep. Drew Hansen
HB 1853 (Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) – Prime sponsor
SB 6248 (Coal Transition) – Republican co-sponsor of House companion bill
SB 6194 (Charter Schools) – Prime sponsor of House companion bill
HB 2382 (Alt. Routes to Teacher Certification) – Prime sponsor, amended in full to SB 6455 (Teacher Shortage)
SB 6245 (Near Vision Screening) – Prime sponsor of House companion bill
HB 2449 (Truancy Reduction) – Republican co-sponsor w/ Rep. Tina Orwall
SB 6195 (Basic Education Obligations) – Republican co-sponsor of House companion bill
HB 2443 (Economic Success Metrics) – Prime sponsor, passed as budget proviso

Community:

Elected as Issaquah School Board President in 2011
Elected as School Board Legislative Representative in 2009
Elected to WSSDA Legislative Committee in 2009 & 2011
Appointed NSBA Legislative Coordinator for Congressional District 8
Appointed to Washington Online Learning Advisory Committee
Appointed to Planned Parenthood National Republican Advisory Board
Treasurer and executive board member for Kiwanis Club of Issaquah
Coordinator for Stand for Children and Safe Roads for Issaquah PACs
2009 Washington State PTA Outstanding Advocate
2011 graduate of the Jennifer Dunn Leadership Institute
2017-19 TEALS volunteer computer science instructor

Career:

Master of Arts in Teaching from Central Washington University
Electrical and Computer Engineering degree from Cornell
12 years as a nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy (DD-4, DD-214)
10 years as a full-time manager at Microsoft (over 20 patent awards)
14 years as a software design consultant
5 years as Director of Product Development at Voter Science, LLC
3 years as a computer science teacher for the Belleuve School District (cert)

Family:

Married for 33 years to wife Galen
Father of Quinn and Duncan, recent graduates from MIT and University of Utah
27 years living in the 5th Legislative District

Chad Magendanz (pronounced like Häagen-Dazs) served two terms as state representative for the 5th Legislative District, which comprises the eastern third of King County. He was elected to caucus leadership his first year and served as ranking Republican on the House Education Committee and as a member of House Higher Education, Technology and Economic Development, Appropriations and Rules committees. Previously, he served as the Issaquah School Board president and in leading roles of other regional and statewide education-related committees and boards. After almost unseating the incumbent state senator in 2016 with 49.7% of the vote, he’s now running for re-election to the House of Representatives.

Chad has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Central Washington University. He served in the U.S. Navy for 12 years as a nuclear submarine officer and then worked at Microsoft for over 20 years in various roles. He joined Voter Science in 2017 as its Director of Product Development and has also been teaching computer science full-time in the Bellevue School District since 2019. He and his wife of 33 years, Galen, reside on Tiger Mountain and have two boys who recently graduated with CS degrees from MIT and the University of Utah.

How do you pronounce Magendanz?

Well, it rhymes with Häagen-Dazs, our favorite pseudo-Scandinavian ice cream company. The origin of Magendanz is actually Luxembourgish, translating to "belly dance" (sic). And if you're looking for a hidden agenda, you'll find it. The word "agenda" is literally embedded right there in the name.

Any relation to the folks on Lake Wobegon?

Chad's aunt Felice lived in Minnesota and was friends with folks who worked with Garrison Keillor on A Prairie Home Companion, so you'll regularly hear about the antics of the Magendanz family on Lake Wobegon, where "all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average."