Bill proudly represents the 5th Legislative District, which includes Black Diamond, Issaquah, Maple Valley, Renton, Sammamish, and Snoqualmie, and unincorporated areas in Auburn, Enumclaw, Covington, Fall City, Hobart, North Bend and Preston.
He grew up in East Oakland, where he saw first-hand the struggles students face when they do not have the resources they need to succeed. He attended Humboldt State University, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Forest Sciences, and later served with the US Forest Service in North Bend and Enumclaw as Director of Timber Management, Director of Recreation and Public Services, and Director of Ecosystem Management, where he led a team of biological and earth scientists doing environmental analysis of federal lands.
From 2005 to 2013, Bill served with the U.S. Department of Transportation in the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). There, he worked as a Community Planner specializing in developing and managing the Tribal Transit Program, as well as Rural and Small Urban Area Transit Systems. As the Federal Tribal Liaison, Bill worked collaboratively with 56 tribes in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska to create or improve public transit on tribal lands. He has also been a small business owner since 1996.
In addition to his work in forestry and transportation, Bill served as a member of the Issaquah City Council from 2016 to 2019. Previously, he served on Issaquah’s Economic Vitality Commission, the Planning and Policy Commission, and Chair of the Issaquah Human Service Commission.
His priorities include:
- Continuing support of the quick completion of Highway 18 widening and the interchange at Interstate 90, and working to secure funding for Highway 169.
- Protecting the environment while supporting jobs, such as industry partnerships to sequester carbon.
- Developing policy for public safety and law enforcement reform to reduce the needless use of force and increasing trust between police officers and the communities that they serve.
- Reducing property taxes and creating more affordable housing options.