A longtime resident of Kirkland, Representative Shelley Kloba’s journey to the state legislature started as a parent advocate for a public education system that truly meets the needs of our children and communities.
While holding various advocacy roles in her local PTAs, Representative Kloba gained invaluable experience working with policy makers to bring about meaningful change. This inspired Representative Kloba to get more involved in her community, serving a four-year term on the Kirkland Park Board, volunteering on park and school bond and levy committees, and serving as a trustee for the Lake Washington Schools Foundation. In 2011, she was elected to serve as the Washington State PTA Legislative Director. These experiences led to a desire to be a policy maker. She was appointed then elected to the Kirkland City Council, serving from 2013 to 2016. On the Council, Representative Kloba stood for a responsible and responsive budget that made key investments to maintain Kirkland’s high quality of life while planning for the region’s future.
While serving as a councilmember, Representative Kloba was actively involved in supporting kids and families on the Eastside Human Services Forum, the King County Domestic Violence Initiative, the King County Cities Climate Collaboration, and the King County Board of Health.
In November 2016, Representative Kloba was elected to her first term in the State House of Representatives, where she now serves as vice-chair of the Innovation, Technology, and Economic Development Committee as well as serving on the Transportation and Commerce & Gaming committees. Areas of interest include data privacy, energy policy, multi-modal transportation, special education, behavioral health, cannabis policy and research, and problem gambling.