Ridgefield City Council’s newest member believes his ability to collaborate with others will be an asset to city government.
During the April 28 meeting, the council voted 6-0 to appoint Matt Cole to the vacant position 4 seat. Cole was one of four people who applied for the seat following the resignation of councilor and former mayor Don Stose in January.
Cole, the CEO of consulting firm Revere, won out against fellow applicants Jake Bredstrand, Katie Favela and Darcy Rourk. Ahead of interviews and the appointment on April 28, all four took part in a virtual forum for the public on March 16.
Since moving to Ridgefield five years ago, Cole said he’s gradually looked for ways to become more involved. He has served on the Clark County Mosquito Control District, the Ridgefield Budget Advisory Committee and the Ridgefield Planning Commission.
Cole said the appointment to council “felt like a great progression” for his involvement. On that appointment, he noted all of the candidates were promising.
“We have some really good quality people in Ridgefield, so naturally, to be selected feels great,” Cole said.
During deliberations, Ridgefield Mayor Jennifer Lindsay agreed on the strength of the candidate pool.
“These four finalists are why Ridgefield is such a great city. All of them are dedicated, passionate advocates for our community,” Lindsay said.
The mayor said Cole’s experience made him the best candidate who could “hit the ground running successfully” as an addition to the council.
Cole’s work experience includes leading multiple marketing and creative firms and time in the U.S. Navy and Reserves. Early on in his career, Cole served as a policy analyst in the Washington State Legislature. Though now removed from the statehouse environment for more than a decade, he said some of the nuances of function in Olympia never left his mind. He hopes that will be an asset for the city which often has to lobby the Legislature for support.
Through his running of small businesses, currently one focused on branding and design, Cole said he’s learned to rely on partnerships to succeed.
“What I’ve prided myself on is the ability to collaborate and bring other people to the table to get something done,” Cole said.
Cole has taken particular interest in the growth of commercial development in the city. Although his time in the city is relatively short compared to those who grew up in Ridgefield, he said the number of amenities moving into the city is remarkable.
Cole wants to ensure the city matches its booming residential growth with a commercial component to support more families moving in. He wants to focus on making Ridgefield attractive to business growth.
Through his increasing involvement with the city, he said meeting the needs he hears from residents has also been one of the draws to service that led him to pursue the appointment.
“That’s a really rewarding part of the job to me. It’s probably the most appealing part,” Cole said.
