Candidate Profile: Kali Clark For Sammamish City Council, Pos. 5

SAMMAMISH, WA — General election ballots will land in mailboxes across King County by Oct. 18, as the 2021 election season enters its final stretch heading into Nov. 2. Dozens of key races are in play this year, including contests for King County Executive, four positions on the Metropolitan King County Council and several local city council races.

As voters prepare to fill out their choices, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles leading up to Election Day.

Kali Clark is running for Position 5 on the Sammamish City Council. Her public service record includes eight years as a wildland firefighter and a stint at FEMA. She currently works in emergency planning at Sound Transit.

Candidate

Kali Clark

Age (as of Election Day)

36

Position Sought

Sammamish City Council Position 5

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Partner - Liz, Step sons - Owen and Dylan

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

University of Washington - Masters, Environmental Engineering - Sustainable Transportation
Regis University - Bachelors, Environmental Science

Occupation

I spent eight years at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as a wildland firefighter. I managed Forest Practices and natural resource specialists which helped to bring together a coalition of landowners, municipalities, tribes, agencies, and communities to work towards a common goal of preventing wildfires. I then went to work at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for 9 months where I aided in responding to the COVID-19 crisis as well as flooding and wildfires. In these positions, I performed a variety of emergency management functions including disaster survivor assistance, hazard mitigation, and overall administrative support. Since January 2021, I have been working at Sound Transit on emergency planning and prevention for the agency and users of transit. Through my roles in public service, I know how to be an effective manager with expertise in policy development of sustainable transportation, emergency management, and natural resources. I would be honored to bring my experience and put it to work for the city of Sammamish.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

electkaliclark.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for City Council to provide Sammamish with the practical, effective, and forward-thinking leadership our community deserves. I want to prioritize sustainable transportation, forest health, emergency preparedness, and healthy communities for everyone in Sammamish. I will use my experience in sustainable and environmentally sound development to tie our city’s growth to sustainability to ensure that we are moving in the right direction.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing Sammamish is identifying future challenges, including sustainable growth and strains on our infrastructure, and identifying solutions that deliver progress. With my experience in management, I want to bring meaningful solutions through community engagement and participation that bridges divides between members and allows our neighbors to have a seat at the table of decision-making.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My near decade-long experience in public service has allowed me to gain skills in understanding policy, bringing together diverse voices, and decision-making that makes me qualified to hold this position. As a leader in transit and expert in forestry, I can work to expand our transit, development, infrastructure, and parks in a way that is environmentally conscious and meaningful to upholding our quality of living.

When Mitzi Johanknecht leaves office, what should the county look for in appointing a new sheriff?

A new sheriff has a difficult job in front of them to quickly build trust within the department and within the community. Both are required if we are going to achieve true public safety for every neighbor. I think a provide record of collaboration, engagement, and open communication is the only way to achieve that.

What are some of your priorities for a post-pandemic recovery?

As we come out of the pandemic, we have to bring the diverse perspectives and priorities in our community to move forward in recovery. We have to ensure that Sammamish has its own plan to respond to the next crisis that will inevitably come. As your next council member, I will commit to investing in reliable infrastructure to mitigate the impacts of future crises.

What would you do in office to strengthen preparedness and response efforts for extreme heat and wildfire smoke events?

I want to enact an Environmental and Crisis Climate Committee. This will be citizen-led and will help in creating policies and plans for our future. In addition, I want to increase our education and outreach in wildfire preparedness. I want the City and Eastside Fire & Rescue (EFR) to partner with Firewise USA, DNR, King Conservation District and our citizens in what individuals can do at their homes.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I was happy to see coordination between so many entities. A great example of success was between EFR, Snoqualmie Tribe, City of Sammamish and the City of Issaquah in setting up a vaccination clinic. I believe that at the local, county, and state level we have been very fortunate to have leaders and local officials making safe decisions and mandates.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am committed to ensuring that the continued development of our region takes into account the issues of traffic congestion, economic development, and environmental sustainability. I want to ensure that there is substantial progress made on regional response to homelessness, transit access, combating climate change, and improving infrastructure.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Through my experiences in public service, I have brought together vast coalitions of stakeholders to work towards common goals, executed key decision-making actions as a manager, and have gained expertise in policy development which is critical to this role.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Everyone is doing the best they can.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

If elected, I will be the first out LGBTQIA+ member in this council's history. My positions are rooted in the values of equity, diversity and inclusion to ensure that policies are sound, effective, and representative of the needs of our community.