Who is Brett?
I am an instructional designer and former high school math teacher. I am a tech enthusiast and aspiring web developer (I hand coded this website from scratch!). I am a book lover and lifelong video gamer. More than any of that, I am a member of this community.
For the past few years I have been heavily involved in the Friends of the Sumas Library (FOSL), a small non-profit that supports our local library branch and celebrates our town. You may have seen me jumping on the microphone every chance I get at Movie in the Park, or selling baked goods during a December downpoor to those wishing to meet Santa. If you attended the Sumas Days parade last year, you likely saw me wrangling a dinosaur down the street while handing out handmade bookmarks.
Growing up my family moved every few years. Having lived in 8 different states, it is surprisingly difficult to answer the question "Where are you from?" Is it where I was born? Where I lived the longest? Where I graduated high school? After moving to Sumas in the summer of 2020, that question got significantly easier to answer. Despite a rough first year involving a heat dome and the historic worst flooding to ever hit the area, I have never felt a sense of "home" like I do living in this small town.
Why is Brett running for City Council?
My involvement in FOSL has caused me to overlap with many members of the Sumas City Council. While my first attendance at city council was to seek city approval for FOSL's first adult-centric event Valentine & Wine, my real onboarding was convincing the mayor to let children throw pies at his face during the Sumas Fall Carnival.
After attending several city council meetings for FOSL purposes, I found that I liked being more involved. I set a recurring alarm and started attending just to know what was happening in my home and how I could help. I love this town, I love its people, and I want to be of service.
What are Brett's priorities for City Council?
I would love to unify our communication and push for a central hub that allows us to better connect with each other. External services, such as Facebook, are at the whims of businesses who do not know us, riddled with ads and a revolving door of external priorities. I want us to connect with each other because of the information we seek and are willing to share, not because an algorithm placed it in our feed.
While the Voyent Alert system now in place addresses some of the issues I faced as a new resident seeking crucial city information during a flood, I believe we can do better. I seek to implement a communication platform that supports us in times of leisure as well as times of distress.
What leadership positions has Brett held?
While I have never held an elected office, I have helped shape my prior community through education. Within the Alpine School District of American Fork, UT I served on the Steering Committee, tasked with shaping the mathematics curriculum for the 30+ middle and high schools within that school district. As a high school teacher, I served as mathematics department chair, overseeing a team of 16 math teachers to create educational content that was relevant, applicable, and accessible to ensure a coherent student journey year to year. I was also a shift lead at Blockbuster back in the day!
How can I contact Brett if I have a question?
Have a question or just want to chat? Send me an email at brett@brettegbert.com