I am a fourth-generation Washingtonian who moved to Bothell from White Center at five years old. My dad grew up in Beacon Hill (Cleveland High, '79) and my mom grew up in small-town Issaquah (Issaquah High, '76). My parents were working class folks looking for an affordable home close to their own parents and with good schools. Bothell fit the bill.
I grew up in the Queensborough neighborhood in northwest Bothell. We now live in the Shelton View neighborhood (just two minutes southeast—I have not moved far!). I attended K-12 in Bothell at Frank Love Elementary, Canyon Park Junior High, and Bothell High School. I graduated from high school through the Lake Washington Technical Academy, where I also studied Computer Security and Network Technology. I own and live in a multi-generational home with my father, Eric, a retired engineer; my brother, Jacob, a local library enthusiast and film buff; and my son, James, who is in our neighborhood school and loves garbage trucks and Minecraft. I am a Senior Technical Account Manager by day, an avid reader, and an extrovert who treasures quality time with family and friends. In addition to my role on City Council, I serve my community as a board president for the Snohomish County Transportation Coalition and 1st Vice Chair for the First Legislative District Democrats. Within my council role, I serve on the city's Public Safety Committee, on the King County Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) partnership, and on the Eastside Transportation Partnership (ETP). My number one hobby is spending time with my family. My son and I ride bikes on local trails and are frequent park users. Bothell was a great place to grow up and I love to see my son having similar experiences with new options and old favorites. |
My journey to City Council started in 2019. I was volunteering with a local team that maintained a Facebook group community for Bothell. It was (and is) a very large group and it gave me a chance to learn quite a lot about my neighbors' pride in our city and pains with our growth.
I saw the council races in 2019 up close, meeting candidates and councilmembers. I had the somewhat startling realization that our city council isn't made up of especially different people from you and I—they are just people, but people who take the time to work with and for their neighbors for common good. It was this engagement that led me to volunteer with Bothellites for People-Oriented Places (BoPOP), a land use advocacy group with a focus on growing equitably and sustainably in Bothell. In early 2020, I applied to join the Planning Commission and was unanimously appointed by the city council at the time. I left BoPOP to focus on Planning Commission, and I greatly enjoyed my new role! I found t fascinating to work on code amendments, big and small, and I would highly recommend serving on a city board or commission to anyone who seeks to get involved. I served throughout the pandemic and was reappointed in Spring 2022. In June 2022, council position #6 was vacated and open. I applied for consideration and in October 2022 the King County Council unanimously appointed me to serve my hometown on our Bothell City Council. My appointed term is through the November 7, 2023 election but I am running to retain this seat and keep representing Bothell as we tackle 2024-2028 and beyond. Would you join me in helping create a kind and thoughtful city where all are welcome? Anyone can accomplish quite a bit all alone, but we can only create the kind of city we all want to live in together. |