EXPERIENCE & COMMITMENT
I have been active in the Bellevue community for over 25 years. Among other things, I have served on the School Board, transportation commission and City Council. I care deeply about our community, providing leadership and volunteer support to making Bellevue a better place to live.
2000 - 2007
Bellevue City Council
I was elected in 1999 and again in 2003. I served as Deputy Mayor in 2004-5. While on the council, I have been instrumental in:
- Setting the City's priorities and budget.
- Keeping our taxes low.
- Addressing local and regional transportation needs.
- Expanding our parks and open spaces.
- Providing strong fire and safety protection.
- Protecting the environment.
- Providing quality city services and much more.
1990-1998
Bellevue’s Transportation Commission.
I served two terms on the commission, chairing it for three years. Among other things, we created a citywide Pedestrian-Bicycle Plan, set priorities for city transportation projects and recommended strategies for relieving traffic congestion.
I chaired the City’s Traffic Task Force, a group of civic leaders formed by the City to consider and recommend ways to address the City’s growing traffic problem.
1991-1992
Bellevue Quality Schools Committee
I led the District’s successful levy and bond campaign. I also served on the Sammamish High School Program Development Council and helped lead the effort to find a permanent home for the International School.
1982 - 1990
Bellevue School Board.
I was elected to two terms and served as Board president twice. I worked to maintain a strong curriculum, achieve interdisciplinary instruction, and maintain the District’s economic position while facing declining enrollment. I served as the Board’s representative on the Bellevue School Foundation, where I helped establish the groundwork upon which the Foundation has built its success. The Washington State School Directors Association recognized our School Board as the state’s 1985 Outstanding School Board.
1981 -
Bellevue School District’s Finance Committee. I helped analyze the District’s financial needs and provided advice and direction for school levies, bonds, and other financial matters.
Additional Community Service
I am a member of the Bellevue Rotary Club (a community service organization whose motto is "service above self"), the Bridle Trails Community Club, and the Bridle Trails Park Foundation Advisory Board. I have served on several Citizens Advisory Committees, including one planning for development in downtown Bellevue and another considering off/on connections to SR 520.
I previously served on the United Way Eastside Multiservices Panel, which was responsible for allocating United Way funding to Eastside agencies. I am a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow, a leadership program sponsored by United Way and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce (class of 1991).
While on the City Council I have represented Bellevue in numerous ways.
I was the City’s representative on the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Transportation Policy Board. The PSRC is the planning group of cities, towns, counties and state agencies established by state law to develop policies and make decisions about transportation issues and regional growth in the Puget Sound area. While on the Transportation Policy Board, I worked to develop a plan for meeting the region’s transportation needs for the next 20 years and beyond.
Currently, I am on PSRC’s Executive Board, which reviews and approves plans and proposals from PSRC’s other boards and committees and pursues the means to implement those plans.
I am Bellevue’s representative on the Eastside Transportation Partnership, which I chaired in 2005 and 2006. ETP is a group of all eastside communities, along with county and state representatives, that reviews and recommends transportation plans and policies that affect the Eastside. ETP takes an active role in issues such as Sound Transit plans to extend mass transit to the eastside, SR 520 and I-405 corridor expansions, and increased eastside metro service.
I serve on the Executive Board of the Eastside Human Services Forum, which I chaired in 2004 and 2005. The EHSF is a committee of eastside cities, school districts, human service agencies, hospitals, and businesses that focuses on how to better meet human service needs on the eastside. EHSF addresses such issues as 1) homelessness, 2) strengthening school readiness for at-risk students, and 3) improving access to services for immigrants and refugees in need. I was given the “Elected Official of the Year” award in 2005 by the Eastside Human Services Alliance.
I am a member of the Governing Board of the King County Committee to End Homelessness, a ten-year, county-wide effort to deal with homelessness. This effort involves county, city, business, religious, and civic leaders from across King County. Our emphasis is on 1) finding temporary and permanent housing for the homeless and 2) providing services that will prevent a return to homelessness.
I was appointed by King County Executive Ron Sims to serve on the Healthy Families and Communities Task Force. THis was a group of community leaders charged with recommending the means for funding human services in the County. After meeting for over a year the Task Force recommended shifts in existing resources that would more effectively and efficiently provide for human service needs with cost savings and tax alternatives. Mr. Sims and the King County Council are currently considering our recommendations.
I represent Bellevue on the Translake Executive Committee, a group of cities affected by the SR 520 Bridge, plus representatives of the state and county. The committee's purpose was to study approaches on mobility solutions for the SR 520 corridor. Consensus was reached on widening the 520 bridge and other freeway improvements, which became part of the Regional Transportation Improvement District proposal to be voted on in November.
I am currently serving on the 520 Bridge Replacement Executive Committee, which is the committee of governmental jurisdictions tasked with finalizing the bridge replacement plan and getting it implemented.
In 2006, I was appointed to the Regional Transportation Leadership Group. This special task force was to study and make recommendations to the state legislature regarding transportation needs and funding for our region. The Legislature considered our recommendations in adopting legislation allowing the region to pursue planning and funding of its transportation needs.
I have acted as Bellevue’s liaison to the Regional Policy Committee. The committee, which includes representatives of cities and the county, addresses various county-wide issues such as county park policies, solid waste disposal, human services, emergency services, and tax proposals. The RPC makes recommendations to the King County Council and the County Executive.