In this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience, Jason talks with Dr. Lynne Robinson, Mayor of Bellevue, Washington. Lynne joined the Bellevue City Council in 2014 and was chosen by her peers as deputy mayor in 2018, then mayor in 2020, 2022, and again in 2024 — an unprecedented third consecutive term as mayor during a period of huge growth on Seattle's Eastside. City of Bellevue+1

Lynne is a retired physical therapist and former small business owner. She's known for pushing startup support, equitable economic development, parks and open space, and especially affordable housing — including backing a property tax exemption for multifamily projects that include affordable units. She's also active regionally on transit, human services, homelessness response, and environmental sustainability. City of Bellevue+2BellevueDowntown.com+2

Conversation Topics • Her path: clinician, founder, councilmember, then three-term mayor • Why housing affordability is now the central issue for Bellevue's future — and what the city is actually doing about it • Bringing startups and founders into City Hall: Startup 425, crowdfunding workshops, and why she wants Bellevue to be friendly to early-stage companies, not just big tech • Parks, green space, and why she thinks access to nature is part of public health and part of economic development • Balancing explosive growth: jobs, transit, traffic, livability • Remote work, return-to-office pressure, and what it means for downtown Bellevue's small businesses • Homelessness, human services, and tracking real outcomes (not just talking points) for families and kids in crisis • Public safety, emergency response, and accountability to residents • Regional work: light rail, mobility, and climate goals on the Eastside • Why local elections matter more than most people admit

Guest Bio (short version) Dr. Lynne Robinson is the Mayor of Bellevue, WA. She's been on the Bellevue City Council since 2014 and now represents the city on regional bodies including the King County Affordable Housing Committee, Sound Cities Association Large City Mayors group, and the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board. Before politics, she ran her own physical therapy practice for 20 years. She holds a doctorate in physical therapy from Regis University and serves on the Washington Technology Industry Association's Cascadia Blockchain Council, reflecting her interest in tech, innovation, and the startup ecosystem on the Eastside. City of Bellevue+2BellevueDowntown.com+2

Sponsor The Jason Cavness Experience is sponsored by CavnessHR. CavnessHR provides HR to companies with 49 or fewer people through a tech platform that automates HR and gives you access to a dedicated HR Business Partner. www.CavnessHR.com