Claire Sumadiwirya
Claire Sumadiwirya
The Bellevue City Council on Tuesday unanimously appointed Claire Sumadiwirya to the council seat that Janice Zahn is expected to vacate next week, according to a news release Wednesday from the city.
Zahn announced her intention to resign from the council after the King County Council in January appointed her to serve as state representative for District 41, which includes Bellevue. Zahn will resign from the council effective March 28, after which Sumadiwirya will be sworn in.
Twenty community members applied to fill Zahn’s Position 5 seat on the council. The council narrowed the field to five at its March 11 meeting before selecting Sumadiwirya Tuesday. Other finalists were Vishal Bhargava, Eric Drever, Diala Ezzeddine, and Jaskaran Singh Sarao, the city said.
Sumadiwirya has lived in Bellevue for more than 30 years and owns Bellden Café downtown. She is also involved in several local nonprofits and boards. During the interview she said her priorities included public safety, education, sustainable growth, and quality of life. Sumadiwirya, who holds a degree in business and sociology from the University of Washington and an MBA from Seattle University, previously worked extensively in global business, hospitality consulting, and community development, according to a Q&A with her in 425 Business in 2021.
In her letter of interest, Sumadiwirya said her interest in serving on the council “represents a commitment to collaborative leadership that will elevate Bellevue’s standing as a global city, while ensuring our growth is rooted in strong local support and inclusive community processes.”
The ballot for the 2025 General Election will include the Position 5 seat, along with Positions 2, 4 and 6, which were already up for reelection this year. The councilmember elected for Position 5 in this year’s race would be sworn in once the election is certified by King County Elections and serve through Councilmember Zahn’s original term of Dec. 31, 2027, the city said.
Visit Bellevue, the city’s destination-management organization, last April presented a Bellevue Destination Award to Bellden Café as Business of the Year.
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