Chair: Public Safety Committee
Vice-Chair: Utilities Committee
Member: Community Services Committee
Carmen Rivera was elected to position 2 in November 2021 as the first openly queer person, first Boricua, and youngest Latina to be elected to Renton City Council. She is the second youngest woman to be elected and is the youngest current serving city council member at the age of 35.
Born and raised in Renton, Carmen is a first generation Rentonite who attended Renton Public Schools and graduated from Lindbergh High School (Go Eagles!). She attended Seattle University where she graduated with departmental honors, a BA in Criminal Justice and double minors in Spanish and Psychology. Carmen then attended University of Liverpool in England where she earned her MSc in the Psychology of Investigation, a highly competitive program that gave her an international perspective on criminal justice and policing. After having lived in both England and Spain, Carmen returned to her home in the Pacific Northwest.
Her career began at Echo Glen Children’s Center where she worked as a counselor in an intensive management unit. She worked her way to be the youngest Juvenile Rehabilitation Coordinator in Washington State, where she supported transition services, advocated for residents, and helped spearhead LGBTQ and gender-responsive youth programming on campus.
She continued her career with King County at YouthSource, working with out-of-school youth and young adults throughout Renton and South King County. It is Carmen’s experience working with the most marginalized communities that drove her to run for Renton City Council. She has witnessed the positive impacts of wrap around social services and governments that support them.
Carmen is currently the Assistant Dean for Student Engagement for the College of Arts and Sciences at Seattle University and an Assistant Teaching Professor for Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Forensics. She currently serves on Sound City Association’s Regional Law Safety and Justice Committee, the State of Washington’s Sentencing Guidelines Commission, and All Washington Cities’ Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Cabinet.
When she is not spending time with her loving partner and beautiful fur babies, you may find her golfing at Maplewood Golf Course, enjoying the Cedar River, or occasionally jumping out of a perfectly good airplane; she’s a licensed sky diver. Carmen is a passionate supporter of Black Lives Matter and Trans Lives Matter, understanding there is no liberation without Black Trans Liberation.
Swearing-In
Carmen Rivera was sworn into council position two by City Clerk Jason Seth on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021.
- Dec. 1 - Carmen Rivera sworn in to fill vacant City Council position two
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