Bill proudly represents the 5th Legislative District, which includes Black Diamond, Carnation, Issaquah, Maple Valley, North Bend, Renton, Sammamish, and Snoqualmie, and unincorporated areas in Enumclaw, Fall City, Hobart 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 Biology, and later served with the US Forest Service in North Bend, Washington 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 2018. Previously, he served on Issaquah’s Economic Vitality Commission, the Planning and Policy Commission, and Chair of the Issaquah Human Service Commission.
Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the lives of Washingtonians, Bill supports the measures taken to keep people safe as the state continues to recover, but underscores the importance of not losing sight of relevant policy goals. 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.
Bill currently serves as chair of the State Government & Tribal Relations Committee, on the Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry Committee and on the Transportation Committee. He fought for local transportation fixes, including reconstruction of the I-90 interchange and the widening of State Route 18. Along with his seatmates, Representative Lisa Callan and Senator Mullet, Bill secured $640 million in funding to widen Highway 18 to be a full, four lane divided highway all the way over Tiger Mountain in 2022. Bill has also championed bipartisan legislation on urban forestry and carbon sequestration to protecting our environment and working to reduce light pollution on Lake Sammamish to protect our early life stage and kokanee salmon.
Bill has fought for equity his whole life, both working in the federal government creating jobs for People of Color, and now fighting to bring equity and representation to the State of Washington. He serves as vice chair of the first Washington State Latino Democratic Caucus. He has supported measures that bring change to state agencies so they better represent the diverse communities in our state, such as major reforms to policing policies and practices throughout Washington, including authoring a police accountability bill ensuring the proper procedure for use of force investigations are followed.
He lives in Issaquah with his wife Sarah and their dog Sadie.