President: D’Arcy Harrison has been a licensed cosmetologist in WA State since 2003. She originally grew up in Rhode Island, went to college in Boston & for many years worked in fringe theatre. Her salon practice has been centered around Capitol Hill, Seattle since 2008 and she has been a business owner since 2012. D’Arcy co-owned Emerson Salon from 2014 until 2021, then took over the brand and adapted to solo salon suite life. Her salon practice focuses on custom haircare with a conscience in natural hair textures & curly/wavy hair, creative and precision haircutting, vivids/color correction and balayage. She also takes pride in and provides an intersectional & inclusive space for transgender and queer identifying people. D’Arcy started work with COWU back in 2019 in the grassroots effort to stop SB5326 (an attempted ban on cosmetology booth rental.) She helped “rally the troops” throughout and especially throughout Covid business closures, testify in hearings as well as simultaneously working to turn this into a 501 c6 non profit in 2021. She has served as COWU Board Secretary and Vice President previously and has consistently interfaced with Dept of Licensing, WA state legislators and our lobbyist Brooke Davies as the Regulatory/Legislative Lead. If elected, D’Arcy hopes to work with board members and Member Advocates to re-examine and better document our internal processes for Operations. As a “baby non-profit” D’Arcy hopes to re-evaluate with other Board members what IS working and what ISN’T. Doing this will help to streamline and best onboard newer leaders in this effort moving forward so the organization may grow and thrive instead of just surviving. D’Arcy knows this will best ready the organization for its next generation of Personal Services Pros and how best to work on their behalf. Her goal is to add Member programs for more business & practical education as well as grow the Membership and Sponsor base. We all must answer the question for ourselves: What does advocacy for Personal Services in WA state look like past 2027 and how can we invite more into that effort?
