As your City Council representative and current Council President, I’ve worked every day to deliver real solutions for Bellingham – listening to residents, making tough decisions, and ensuring our city remains a place where everyone can thrive. From championing investments in affordable housing, strengthening our downtown, and advancing equity, I’m committed to getting things done with integrity and transparency.
Now in my second term, I’ve been proud to call Bellingham home since 1999, when I came here to study Sociology and Criminology at WWU. Over the years, I’ve built deep roots – as a credit union professional for more than a decade, as the owner and manager of a beloved live-music venue for 14 years, and as an active member of our creative and business communities.
The last 5 years have tested us all and my work on the council has provided me with a masterclass in resiliency, flexibility, and the power of community. During the pandemic, I helped launch the Whatcom County Racial Equity Commission, working with partners to create a lasting framework for change. I’ve enacted new funding for affordable housing, bringing the total to $10 million per year invested in housing our lowest income residents. I voted to create the Alternative Response Team, sending non-uniformed professionals to mental health calls rather than police.
In 2022, I became the first Bellingham City Council member to have a child while in office, giving me firsthand insight into the joys and challenges of raising young children here while being a working parent. That experience deepened my dedication to investing in our kids as one of the most effective ways to address homelessness, poverty, crime, and the mental health crisis at their roots. As a parent, downtown business owner, and proven problem solver, I’m ready to keep working hard to make Bellingham one of the best places in the world to live – for all of us.
Issues
Housing / Homelessness
Like many West Coast cities, Bellingham faces intertwined challenges of housing affordability and homelessness. The evidence is clear: when housing supply is tight, homelessness rises. For too long, cities resisted increasing housing supply and density – now we’re seeing the cost.
I believe in solutions that are grounded in research and proven results. Mayor Kim Lund’s 2024 executive order on housing, with collaboration by the City Council, is a bold step in meeting our housing needs. I will continue supporting this work through the Council’s decision-making role – ensuring that policy and funding align to deliver real progress.
Non-profit partners are essential to preserving and creating affordable housing. Bellingham has more than 1,700 grant-subsidized units today and I’m committed to securing funding and refining policy to expand that number in the years ahead.
Community Health & Safety
Public safety is more than policing – it’s about building systems that reduce the need for police intervention in the first place. Programs like GRACE and LEAD, are helping us address root causes and reduce reliance on first responders. We’ve also invested in safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists and committed millions of dollars to protecting our drinking water source, by preventing new development in the Lake Whatcom watershed.
But there is still more to do. The most valuable investment we can make is in our children – ensuring they have safe places to grow, learn, and belong.
That means tackling the childcare shortage with both funding and space in new housing developments, expanding parks and recreation in neighborhoods, and creating more “third spaces” – places beyond home or school where kids can find safety, community, and connection.
A Vibrant Downtown
Our city has changed rapidly, thanks to intentional efforts to bring life to our downtown core, but its potential is far from realized. I hear from residents who, like me, envision a downtown with no empty storefronts, where thriving small businesses reflect the creativity and diversity of Bellingham, and where all residents feel at home.
We must support this vision by investing in multimodal transportation -making it easier to walk, bike, or take transit – while reducing congestion and promoting sustainability. Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and the city should actively help them grow by removing barriers, connecting them to resources, and ensuring our infrastructure supports their success.
