Working Together to Make Everett
Better for Everyone

Social activist and queer community member Kelly Fox is stepping up and running for office. She is running for City Council District 5 to help make Everett an inclusive community where everyone feels welcome, supported, and represented.

Kelly Fox is a queer cis-gendered woman, born and raised in Southern California. As a child she spent weekdays with her mom, and weekends with her dad and stepmom. She is the second oldest of five kids and is the only girl. She enjoyed helping take care of her younger brothers, and assisting her mother navigate social service and local government programs.

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Food stamps and food banks ensured she and her family could eat. Family court and foster care ensured she was safe and sound. When Kelly was sexually assaulted at a young age, these services got her to safety and provided the support necessary for her to return home. These experiences shaped her values and ideals. She made giving back, and helping others in need, her purpose in life.

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Kelly moved to Southern Washington in her early teens. Attending high school in Vancouver offered new opportunities and a sense of security. She was in the honors program throughout school. She participated in after school activities and attended a local church. She contributed to the church’s events and volunteered whenever they needed.

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During Ms. Fox’s Junior year of high school, a friend at church came out as a lesbian. Sadly, the community ostracized her, and she eventually left the church. It suddenly became clear to Kelly that the church’s values did not align with her own. She chose to put her values into action, support her friend, and quit that church. She used the extra time for extracurricular activities and her part-time job.

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After high school she moved to the Seattle area to attend the University of Washington (UW). She put herself through college using scholarships, financial aid, and work study. While there, Kelly recognized she was attracted to women and men. She became active with the UW’s Q-Center, attending events and volunteering for the organization. She came out as bisexual and shared the news with her family. Most of her family was supportive when she came out and some were not.

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Unfazed Ms. Fox dove in further. She started participating in student government and organizing in the community. She continued to volunteer for school events and completed internships at the Public Defenders Association, Seattle Mental Health, and the VA Medical Center. She learned more about gender and changed her identification to ‘queer’, choosing to use a more inclusive word that included trans and non-binary people.

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At 23, Kelly got her master’s degree in Social Work. She was working full-time at a non-profit childcare center and was promoted to Executive Director after graduating. The center was located inside of a welcoming and affirming Baptist church. They reserved 30% of their spaces for at-risk children. After her earlier experience as a member of a non-inclusive church, Kelly was eager to assist a church openly accepting of queer people. While there, she studied how the resources they shared allowed underfunded programs to be successful.

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After work, Kelly Fox was active in her community. She volunteered with the Greater Seattle Business Alliance, Washington State Democrats, CERT, Camp Ten Trees, the Queen Bees, the 5th Avenue Theater, and more. She facilitated community fundraisers for non-profit organizations like the Northwest Network. She supported political Marches like Black Lives Matter, the Women’s March, and the March for Science. She celebrates Pride every year, marching in the annual parade as well as the Dyke March and Trans March multiple times.

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Ms. Fox’s career in public service continued with positions at Renton Fire, Seattle Public Utilities and the USO Puget Sound Area. She is currently the Executive Director of Snohomish County EMS. Working at these agencies helped the community and armed Kelly with the knowledge necessary to be a City Councilmember. She prepared ordinances and learned how local government works. Skilled at budgeting and a successful grant writer, she has managed federally declared disaster funding. She is versed in the inner workings of public utilities and EMS. She understands the variety of services offered by local government and what it takes to make them happen.

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Kelly was living in Seattle in 2015 when she met Shilo, and both of their lives changed for the better. The two quickly fell in love and got married a little over a year after they started dating. Shilo came out as a transgender man in 2017 with Kelly’s full support. Navigating each step and roadblock with him has made clear the difficulties trans* folk experience when trying to access medical services.  

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Eager to start a family together, the couple purchased their first home in Everett in early 2019. The Silver Lake neighborhood has so much to offer. From shopping to dining to great schools, they knew they chose the right place to settle down. Kelly and Shilo share their home with the rest of their family - two Dachshund / Chihuahuas named Rocket and Rosie, and three cats named Sadie, Gus, and Lillian. Ms. Fox is active in their home’s HOA, serving on the board and helping maintain the community pool.

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Covid brought the couple closer together, they spent a great deal of time getting to know Everett. The politics in Everett encouraged them to act. Shilo is serving as Kelly’s campaign manager, and the Foxes are working as a team to increase queer representation in Everett. Seattle has raised a rainbow flag during pride for 9 years and Everett has yet to raise the flag. The lack of openly queer and/or trans identified council members, mayors, and/or state representatives in Snohomish County is deafening. This needs to change, and Kelly Fox is here to change it.

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The redistricting efforts underway in Everett are a prime time to expand representation of the council. We need more people of color, individuals with differing abilities, people from different classes, and queer people represented. Kelly Fox has the experience and expertise necessary to lead and represent a welcoming and affirming Everett.

Together we can make Everett better for everyone. Vote for Kelly Fox, Candidate for Everett City Council District 5.

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Working Together

to Make Everett Better

for Everyone