HomeMy WebLinkAboutStatement of Interest and Qualifications_Mark EggeFrom:Mark Egge
To:Agenda
Subject:Commission Vacancy - Statement of Qualifications and Interest
Date:Saturday, September 26, 2020 3:02:57 PM
September 26, 2020
Mayor Andrus and City Commissioners,
I write to apply for appointment to the vacant seat of City Commissioner.
I’ve chosen Bozeman as my home for many reasons. I prize the people here, the charm andcompact footprint of our built environment, the safety of our city, and our high quality of life
bolstered by ready access to recreation and the area’s inspiring natural beauty. My principalconcern is that these qualities remain undiminished even as our city grows.
My application is inspired by my belief that Bozeman’s municipal government has a key roleto play in a future in which housing is abundant (and thereby affordable), in which Bozeman
leads in responding to climate change, and where our streets are safe and our communityinclusive. As a commissioner, I’m confident that my skills, time and energy would contribute
toward realizing this future.
I actively invest my time in the Bozeman community in capacities ranging from trash cleanup
with the Friends of Hyalite to board service on HRDC’s Streamline Advisory Board andGVLT’s NextGen Advisory Board. With the City of Bozeman, I volunteer my skills and
experience as a member of the Parking Commission and the City Planning Board.
I’m familiar with and comfortable in leadership roles, both in terms of coordinating action
among friends and neighbors (such as June’s request for $50k in additional StreetsMaintenance funding for bicycle improvements) and professionally, in roles ranging from
leading my small staff of fellow data scientists to a former leadership post with oversight ofover 100 individuals.
Professionally, I work at the intersection of planning and data science on behalf of publicsector transportation agencies. In my job as a planner, I help public sector agencies with
billion-dollar annual budgets make investment and policy decisions to benefit the people theyserve, especially through the development and use of performance measures.
I’m interested in and engaged in governance and democracy at a local level, as demonstratedby my campaign for City Commissioner in 2019 and by my support volunteering and
canvassing on behalf of local ballot initiatives including the Gallatin Open Space Mill Levyand the Bozeman Public Safety Center.
I support the City’s Strategic Plan, am a co-author of the draft Community Plan, havesubmitted substantive comments to the City’s draft Climate Action Plan and Community
Housing Plan, and have played an active role in implementing Bozeman’s Strategic ParkingManagement Plan. I have a clear understanding of the role of Bozeman’s City Commission
and of the responsibilities and time requirements thereof.
I submit to you that I am qualified to the office and ready and willing to serve.
That said, there’s no ego in this for me—my only desire is qualified representation on the
issues of affordability, climate, and quality of life. If choosing among equally qualifiedcandidates, I would urge the Commission to choose the candidate who would most increase
the diversity of experience, world view, and opinion represented.
Thank you for your consideration and service to the Bozeman community.
Mark Egge542 N Black Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715