Software engineer and Kirkland Planning Commission member Jay Arnold announced his candidacy for Kirkland City Council on Monday. He is running for the seat to be vacated by outgoing Mayor Joan McBride.

“Kirkland is the best place to live, work, and raise a family in the Pacific Northwest,” said Jay Arnold. “To maintain that quality of life and be competitive with other cities, I will ensure that Kirkland is sustainable and strategic in our transportation, planning, budgets, and economic development. We need all pieces of the puzzle.”

Arnold also announced the support of a wide range of community leaders. His early endorsements include former Mayor Dave Russell, former Councilwoman Nona Ganz, Parks Board chair Sue Keller, and state Reps. Roger Goodman and Cyrus Habib.

“Jay is a leader who asks how can we do things better?” said former Mayor Dave Russell, who also served with Arnold as a nonprofit board member. “He helped our organization survive tough times while preserving programs. We need Jay to keep our city moving forward, even with tight budgets.”

Arnold has a long resume of community service and leadership. Most recently, he co-chaired the successful YES! for Great Kirkland Parks campaign. He currently is on the Planning Commission, serving as chair in 2011-2012. Previously, he served on the board of the Municipal League of King County, the Capital Finance Review Board, Futurewise, and Northwest SEED (Sustainable Energy for Economic Development). Arnold is currently the secretary of his daughters’ elementary school parent-teacher group.

Professionally, Arnold is a software developer who was as a group manager at Microsoft and now works as the technology director for Fuse Washington, a progressive advocacy organization.

“In 2014 Kirkland will update our Comprehensive Plan, which details the long-term strategy for our city,” said Arnold. “This is where transportation, economic development, parks and planning all come together. Yet almost half the city has no neighborhood plan. I will focus on business districts and economic development, while at the same time empowering neighborhoods to develop their vision for the future. We have to do both to keep Kirkland a great place to live and work in.”

Arnold first moved to Kirkland 23 years ago. He lives in the Norkirk neighborhood with his wife, Mary Beth Binns, and three daughters, who attend the Community School in Houghton.