Webinar: Transportation & Infrastructure: Jumpstarting the Recovery Economy by Bellevue Chamber

About This Webinar

Our streets and highways are empty right now but congestion will soon return. Join House Transportation Committee Chair Jake Fey, Vice-Chair Vandana Slatter, and Ranking Member Andrew Barkis as we explore the state's strategy future of transportation investments.

Moderated by infrastructure expert and former Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary, Paula Hammond.

Steve Hobbs

Chair, Senate Transportation Committee

Senator Steve Hobbs has been a member of the Washington State Senate since 2006. He serves as chair of the Transportation Committee and also serves on the Financial Institutions, Economic Development & Trade Committee as well as the Environment, Energy and Technology Committee.

In addition to representing the people of the 44th district, he is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Washington Army National Guard and proudly served in Kosovo and Iraq.

Based on strong input from his constituents, Senator Hobbs has adopted an expansive policy agenda which includes promoting local job creation through helping small businesses and improving our transportation infrastructure; promoting legislation that holds state government accountable for the dollars we spend; and working with the community to create new and innovative approaches to strengthening our education system. He is particularly focused on expanding programs in our high schools and colleges that will prepare our students for the growing demand in the high-tech industries both at home and globally.

East King Chambers Coalition

More than twenty years ago, Eastside business leaders came together and formed the East King Chambers Coalition to advocate for businesses in Olympia. The Coalition brings together ten chambers of commerce-enabling them to speak with a unified voice on legislative issues. The Coalition develops a variety of annual publications and brings lawmakers and business leaders together through events and webcasts.

Jake Fey

Chair, House Transportation Committee

Elected into the WA State House of Representatives in 2012, Jake currently serves as Chair of the House Transportation Committee and as a member of the House Environment and Energy Committee. In addition, Jake serves as the Vice Chair of the Council of State Governments’ Transportation Committee.

One of Jake’s top priorities in the legislature is ensuring a cleaner, more sustainable transportation system for our state. During the 2019 Legislative session, Jake introduced the Green Transportation bill, aimed at helping switch to electric vehicles and cleaner fuels, with incentives to buy electric vehicles and help to build the infrastructure to charge electric cars in Washington State. The new law also offers grants to help mass transit agencies electrify their fleets and takes steps to solve the last-mile problem in mass transit.

Curis King

Ranking Member, Senate Transportation Committee

Senator Curtis King represents South Central Washington’s 14th Legislative District in the Washington State Senate. Since his original appointment to the Legislature in 2007, he has been a member of the Senate Transportation Committee on which he currently serves as the Ranking Minority Member. He is also the Ranking Minority Member on the Senate Labor & Commerce and serves on the Rules Committee.

King served as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee from 2015 through 2017, following two years as a bipartisan co-chair. During that time, he was the primary sponsor of the first successful transportation revenue package in more than a decade. The $16 billion infrastructure package funds six transportation megaprojects, more than 140 regional congestion-relief and road safety projects, and invests $1.4 billion for the maintenance and preservation of existing roads and bridges.

Paula Hammond

Fmr. Washington Department of Transportation Secretary

As Secretary of Transportation, Paula oversaw the development and delivery of the states' largest capital investment program of $16.5 Billion; safety, preservation, and improvement projects aimed at improving the economic vitality of the state.

She now serves as Senior Vice President and National Transportation Market Leader at WSP USA.

Vandana Slatter

Vice Chair, House Transportation Committee

Dr. Vandana Slatter is a State Representative in the Washington State Legislature, representing the 48th Legislative District, which includes parts of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland and all of Clyde Hill, Medina, Yarrow Point and Hunts Point. She currently serves on three House committees: College & Workforce Development; Innovation, Technology & Economic Development; and Transportation (2nd Vice Chair). She is also Co-chair of the Science, Technology and Innovation Caucus, and serves on the Future of Work Task Force, the Electric Airplane Working Group, and the Sustainable Aviation Biofuels Work Group.

Andrew Barkis

Ranking Member, House Transportation Committee

Andrew was born and raised in Chehalis. He is a graduate of Seattle University with a degree in Communications. Andrew's personal knowledge and experience as a local business owner foster his priorities to have limited, but effective government that is focused on being fiscally responsible, creating more jobs, and enhancing small business growth within the 2nd District and state.