Meet Jennifer
Jennifer Robertson believes that public service is the rent you pay for living. She learned about public service at an early age while growing up on the Eastside seeing her father give medical care to his needy patients while her mother became a public health dentist. Jennifer has committed herself to this philosophy and used her skills as an attorney to continuously serve the City of Bellevue and the community since moving to Bellevue in 2002.
Jennifer is a life-long Eastside resident. She graduated from Inglemoor High School in 1987. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics (minors in Mathematics and English) from the University of Puget Sound in 1990. She received her Doctorate in Jurisprudence, cum laude, from Willamette University College of Law in 1993. She was admitted to the Washington Bar Association in 1993.
Jennifer has practiced a wide range of law, starting out in the prosecutor’s office while in law school then transitioning to a general litigation practice early in her career. She found her passion in practicing municipal law and land use litigation and her passion for municipal issues and “good government” remains to this day.
Jennifer Robertson was appointed to the Bellevue Planning Commission by then-Mayor Connie Marshall in 2003 and re-appointed by Mayor Grant Degginger in 2007. She has listened to the public and has helped craft Bellevue’s comprehensive plan and land use code during her tenure. In 2007, her fellow commissioners elected her chair. She chaired the commission from 2007-2008 during the time the planning commission evaluated and worked through the major update of the Bel-Red Plan. The Bel-Red Plan created a new vision on a 50-year timeline for the 900-acre area known as Bel-Red. This plan is one of the largest transit-oriented development plans in the nation and the area of Bellevue’s future business and residential growth. The City’s work on this Plan was so significant that it received national recognition.
In 2007, Jennifer was appointed by Mayor Degginger to Co-Chair the Bellevue Light Rail Best Practices Committee. The Light Rail Best Practices Committee was tasked with finding the “best practices” for making light rail fit with Bellevue. As part of the Committee’s work, Jennifer spent close to a year studying light rail around North America – including travelling to Portland, San Jose and San Diego – listening to the public and reviewing planning policies for siting light rail. This work culminated with the creation of a comprehensive report to the City Council on the “best practices” for light rail to come to Bellevue. These recommendations on light rail became the backbone of our City’s plan for high capacity transit, one of the most important decisions facing Bellevue and the region for the future.
In 2008, following the resignation of the Honorable Connie Marshall, Jennifer was considered by the City Council to fill the vacant seat. She was one of three individuals to be nominated to that position.
In addition to her work for the City of Bellevue, Jennifer has served her community in a variety of ways. She is an active member of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church where she and her husband spearheaded the establishment of an affordable housing project for homeless veterans and their families on church property. She has served for several years as a PTSA Board Member (Legislative Affairs and Advocacy); a Girl Scout volunteer; a Bellevue Schools Volunteer; and a volunteer for her Community Association.
Jennifer is a land use and municipal attorney who has represented several cities and fire districts in the Puget Sound region. Scott, her husband of 13 years, is a small business owner in Bellevue. They live in the Somerset neighborhood with their three children, Katherine, Madeline, and Abigail.