City Of Redmond Swearing In Ceremony

l-r Angela Birney, David Carson, Varisha Kahn, Jessica Forsythe, Vanessa Kritzer

In a ceremony during Redmond City Council's December 17th meeting, newly elected Redmond residents Angela Birney (Mayor), Varisha Khan (Council Position No. 1), Jessica Forsythe (Council Position No. 3), Vanessa Kritzer (Council Position No. 5), and David Carson (Council Position No. 7) were officially sworn in. Their terms are effective January 2020 through December 2023.

Thirteen different council/mayoral candidate signs were staked.  Amazingly, most were removed within a day following the election. (click to enlarge)

Mayor-elect Birney was elected to City Council in 2015 and served as Council President from 2018 to 2019. She currently represents Redmond on several regional boards and committees and previously served on the Parks and Trails Commission. Angela grew up in Eastern Washington and moved to Redmond in 1998. Formerly a middle school science teacher, she earned a Master of Education from Heritage University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology Education from Eastern Washington University. She lives on Education Hill with her husband and daughters.

Varisha Khan’s background is rooted in local journalism and non-profits. As a journalist, she developed a beat around issues pertaining to race, immigrants and communities of color. In her non-profit work, she focused on making media and government more representative and inclusive. Born in Dallas, Texas to a middle-class American Muslim family, Varisha received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in Communication, Journalism and Political Science.

Jessica Forsythe is an award-winning Creative Director and owner of a small graphic design studio which works primarily with clients who seek to better their community. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Jessica graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication Design with a concentration in Environmental Design. She has worked in environmental design, architecture, branding, and was the Art Director for the Seattle Symphony.

Vanessa Kritzer has devoted her career to working for social and environmental justice. She has experience in the non-profit, government, and private sectors, most recently at Microsoft. Vanessa attended undergrad at Vassar College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American and Latinx Studies and Political Science and obtained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington Foster School of Business and a Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. She recently served on the City of Redmond’s Planning Commission and lives in Downtown Redmond with her husband and young daughter.

David Carson, elected to a fourth term on City Council, moved from Southern Oregon to Redmond to work for Microsoft in 1991. He graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. He currently represents the City on the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Seattle and King County, the Emergency Management Advisory Committee (EMAC), the Eastside Transportation Partnership (ETP), and as the chair of the Redmond Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC).