Russ Whidbee
For Bellingham City Council At-Large
Russ has deep roots in Bellingham. Since coming here to attend Western Washington University in the 1980s, he has built his life, family, and community in Bellingham. He has been an engaged member of our community for the last 40 years and has been doing the work to push beyond the status quo and improve lives through his advocacy and collaboration with our community’s local nonprofits, charities, and civil servants. Russ is running to leverage this experience on the City Council to effect the change Bellingham needs.
Meet Russ Whidbee
Hello Bellingham Friends and Neighbors!
I am running for the At-Large City Council position. I chose to make this commitment after long thought and consideration about the challenges our city faces and after the disappointment I felt this past year in how divided our community had become. I believe I can bring people together and provide the collaborative leadership we need to help resolve our difficult challenges. I consider myself a “Bridge Maker and Change Agent.”
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, then moved to Federal Way where I graduated from high school, and in the early to mid-1980s attended Western Washington University. At WWU I served on the Associated Students Board and began fulfilling my goal to become a leader. Bellingham has been my home for these past 40 years. This is where I am raising my family and have established a career as a financial advisor and teacher of Accounting at both Whatcom Community College and Bellingham Technical College.
Most importantly, I have had the honor to serve my community through volunteering on dozens of nonprofit organizations and charities. You may remember me from my previous service on the Whatcom County Board of Equalization, or as a board member and community activist with the Bellingham Technical College Foundation; Kulshan Community Land Trust; Whatcom Volunteer Center; the Community Leadership Advisory Board at Woodring College, WWU; or on the basketball court mentoring the Western men’s basketball team.
Collaboration, not confrontation, is how I will lead as your City Council member. Thank you for the opportunity to share my story. I will be honored to receive your vote in November.
Russ Whidbee
The Leadership Our City Needs Right Now
Professional Experience
- Financial Advisor (1999-Present);
- Adjunct Faculty, Accounting; Whatcom Community College & Bellingham Technical College.
Education
- Western Washington University, City University of Seattle, Bachelor of Science Accounting, 1992
Community Service (abridged)
- Emeritus member*, former Vice-president and President; Bellingham Technical College Foundation
*The new classification was recently adopted based on the following criteria: served as foundation board member with distinction and excellence, held an important leadership role and made or makes significant contributions, engaged in advocacy activities in service on the board, completed their terms, and participated in one or more Foundation activities in the past year. (BBJToday)
- Member; American Federation of Teachers
- Mentor Coach; WWU Men’s Basketball
- Former President; Whatcom Volunteer Center
- Former Co-chair; Community Leadership Advisory Board, Woodring College WWU
- Former Co-chair; Brothers and Sisters of Whatcom (BASOW)
- Former Vice President of Academic Affairs; Associated Students of WWU
- Former Business Manager; Western Front
- Former President; Black Unified Society (BUS) of WWU
- Board of Equalization; Whatcom County
- Citizen Advisory Board; Bellingham Police Department
- Citizens’ Advisory Committee; Bellingham Public Schools
- Dollars for Scholars; Bellingham Public Schools
- Kulshan Community Land Trust for Affordable Housing
- Racial Justice Coalition, City of Bellingham
- Birchwood Food Desert Fighters
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)