Local business owner, retired Department of Justice Special Agent, and volunteer basketball coach Stephen Dabasinskas has announced his run for Camas City Council.
“I’ll take my role as your elected representative to the Camas City Council very seriously. It’s time for financial restraint and fiscal expertise to guide legislative decisions and spending. It’s time for public safety and infrastructure needs to finally be addressed and solved once and for all. It’s time that we pay close attention to our environment – our lakes, our trees, and our drinking water. It’s time that we hear our electorate’s voice and respond to their wishes. It’s time for a change in Camas’ legislative affairs. It’s time to unite and make Camas the very BEST it can be!” Dabasinskas said in a recent interview.
Stephen is a midwesterner, transplanted in the Pacific Northwest to enjoy life with his spouse and their three sons. He graduated from the University of California in San Diego with a BA degree in Economics and a minor in Law and Society. After college, he became a police officer for the City of San Diego, where he served as a patrol officer and detective. Here, he helped develop one of the first Problem Orientated Policing models in the United States. While with the San Diego Police Department, he received the Commanding Officer Citation and the Life Saving Award.
Dabasinskas went on to join the California Department of Justice as a Special Agent, where he was assigned to investigate major narcotic traffickers on the local state and federal levels. He served as the lead investigator on numerous complex national and international investigations. Stephen is a court certified expert in narcotics and financial crimes associated with narcotic trafficking, and has taught numerous law enforcement related training classes.
Upon his promotion to Special Agent Supervisor, Stephen was Task Force Commander of a narcotics task force made up of more than twenty agencies – all who answered to a board which included local, state, and federal chiefs/administrators. As part of his normal supervisory duties, he wrote grants and secured program funding as well as drafted and presented new legislation. Subsequently, he was hired as a consultant for the Department of Defense where he taught case management and budgeting.
In 1997, Dabasinskas founded Innovative Business Solutions, where he still serves as Founder and President. He specializes in helping small business in all aspects of the business cycle including: turnarounds, growth strategies, budgeting, forecasting, acquisitions, reorganizations, mergers, HR, marketing, sales, all phases of bookkeeping/finance and operations. He has worked with companies in the medical device field, investigative firms, manufacturing, marketing, construction, legal firms, restaurants, technology, trusts and non-profits. He has also served as a board member for several companies.
“I’m excited to utilize my unique 30-year experience in law enforcement, multi-agency task force management, and private sector executive financial management and consulting to serve my neighbors and our beloved community. Camas is too good a place, and these are difficult times,” said Dabasinskas. “Expertise, confidence, and a steady hand is what our Councilmember at Large must possess. I commit to providing these things to you, driven by integrity, accountability, and my love for this community. I hope you’ll join me in this terrific journey.”
Dabasinskas is seeking the seat of long time Camas City Councilmember Don Chaney, and understands the size of the shoes he seeks to fill. “I have met with Don on several occasions seeking his counsel. Nobody knows how this community operates better than Don, and he has been extremely helpful in understanding the nuance of many of our City’s most complex issues. I appreciate his service to our community,” said Dabasinskas.
The official campaign website can be located at www.stephen4council.com. The candidate is available by phone for interview and will respond to any and all written inquiries.
