About Matthew
I am a husband, a father, your neighbor. My family and I have been residents of South Rose Hill / Bridle Trails since 2005. My kids consider Kirkland as their home and want to stay here, forever. There is inherent love for me in that sentiment as it speaks to the amazing home we have been able to give them in Kirkland. It also creates pain for me as I understand how out of reach establishing a new home in Kirkland is likely to be for them as they enter the workforce and housing market.
My kids have had the privilege to attend school at Ben Franklin, Kamiakin, North Star, and Juanita, giving me a unique look into the pressures that Kingsgate, Central Houghton, and Juanita face as communities. I have family who are renters in Kingsgate and struggle to keep up with our spiraling housing costs. My father-in-law lived in Section 8 housing in Norkirk and relied heavily on transit and public services to get by. As a nursing home resident at the beginning of 2020, he was directly impacted by the first wave of COVID. I am a transit user, relying on the 255 to commute to Seattle. I understand the constraints we have to make transit a viable option in Kirkland. When I worked in Bellevue, it was faster to walk than to attempt to use transit. My kids rely solely on transit and have found that it directly impacts employment options. |
I am an Architect and a business owner. I bring a unique perspective of understanding development and planning. I am witnessing first hand how the pressures that we are facing are being handled across the country. There are many opportunities for us to explore as a community. I am also committed to the AIA 2030 Commitment and am a LEED AP which shapes my view of sustainable design and development and the challenges facing our region.
I am motivated by change and by development. I am also very aware that not everyone is motivated by those things and that by finding a common path forward, we find success. Inherently we all love the City we call home and want it to be the best it can be. My goal is to find the common vision and the common path for us to take to chart the path to that future. I consider myself to be a strategic thinker and a problem solver. I find energy in both. I also love collaborating with diverse minds. We are stronger by working together and we are stronger through diversity of background and opinions. I am very excited to be your representative and to roll up my sleeves to work with you to create a stronger community. I am excited to see what we can create together. |