About Mike
Born and raised in the Seattle area, Mike has a deep appreciation for the beauty of the Puget Sound region and a deep respect for the progressive values and spirit of independence of the people who live in Seattle and make it such a great city. He lives in Fremont with his wife, Julie, and two school-aged sons, Elliott and Wyatt.
Mike fully believes Seattle can be a model for sustainability, affordability, and economic and cultural vitality. He envisions a city where smart housing policies ensure that all families can afford to live here; where children get a great public education; where everyone, regardless of zip code, feels safe in their communities; and where there are great jobs and opportunities in every neighborhood. Mike believes that if we focus on the right priorities, we can create a city where everyone has an opportunity to succeed, and where everyone is doing their part to protect the environment just by living here–a city where saving money and conserving energy go hand in hand.
Joining Seattle City Council in 2010, Mike’s vision has led him to make Seattle’s people and its environment his top priorities.
Working for the people of Seattle:
- Through difficult budget years, Mike has fought to protect basic services for families struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
- Mike has expanded eligibility for programs that help low-income households pay their utility bills.
- Recognizing the need for fair and equitable family-leave policies, he was an early supporter and advocate for Seattle’s Paid Sick Leave measure.
- Mike has become a champion for the homeless and created a new pilot program to provide a safe place to park for people living their vehicles while they work get back into permanent housing.
- He has worked to improve the City Government’s accessibility and responsive to Seattle’s growing and diverse immigrant and refugee populations, now making up 17% of Seattle.
- He has championed the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative throughout his time on the Council, hosting events, speakers and trainings that both educate himself and the community and also guide his fight for racial equity in Seattle.
Working for our environment:
- Passionately committed to fighting climate change, Mike passed a resolution calling for Seattle to become carbon neutral by 2050, adopting some of the most aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets for a city in the world.
- Mike has been a champion on Seattle’s Zero Waste Strategy as Chair of the Seattle Public Utilities and Neighborhoods Committee
- Working collaboratively with grassroots environmental organizations, Mike developed and implemented the first-in-the-nation opt out system allowing Seattle homes and businesses to stop unwanted yellow pages deliveries; so far over 71,000 addresses have opted out, saving more than 320 tons of paper.
- Mike led a coalition of environmental advocates, small and large retailers and grocers, grocery store workers and concerned citizens to protect Puget Sound and our oceans by banning plastic carry-out bags in Seattle (effective 7/1/12).
Mike’s Background
Mike earned an economics degree from Duke University and an MBA in finance from the University of Washington. Mike has spent most of his professional career working in financial management. Prior to joining Council, Mike spent 10 years as the chief financial officer at the local law firm of Stokes Lawrence, where he oversaw budgeting, financial reporting, and forecasting for a $10 million business.
Through his business experience and his knowledge of finance, Mike understands the importance of an analytic and metric-based approach to governing.
As chair of the Sierra Club and volunteer activist for over a decade before entering office, Mike was involved in campaigns that helped turn money away from new highways and toward new investments in light rail and transit.
In his first two years on City Council, Mike has led from his progressive values on the issues while utilizing strong background in finance and organizational management to offer pragmatic solutions for Seattle. Mike brings a rare combination of vision and experience that will continue to be a tremendous asset on the Seattle City Council.
