BDC Members and Affiliates,

Please find below an introduction and a “Ten Questions” interview with Chris Coburn, candidate for Bozeman City Commissioner.

JP

JP: What is something interesting about yourself most people don’t know?
CC: I used to be a professional tap dancer.

JP: What keeps you up at night right now?
CC: Campaigning is challenging. Balancing a full-time job, serving as a commissioner, and running this campaign means I don’t sleep much. I’m focused on making sure that I’m showing up for the community to the best of my ability in all my roles, and that’s what really keeps me up right now.

JP: Tell me about the most important strategies you will employ if elected as a City Commissioner?
CC: I’m a collaborator by conviction, and I’ll continue to lean on my community organizing training to bring about the solutions we need that work for most, not just some.

JP: Tell me about a moment that could be described as “a fork in the road” for you?
CC: Last year I decided to take a chance and throw my name in the hat to fill an opening on the City Commission. While I wasn’t selected then, that decision really shifted the course of my personal and professional life. If not for that decision, I don’t know that I would have ever discovered how deep my passion for public service really is.

JP: What do you see as your toughest challenge, thus far, in Bozeman?
CC: My toughest challenge is very similar to the challenge many people in Bozeman are experiencing – I’m being priced out of the housing market. It difficult to make a life in Bozeman if homeownership feels out of reach, and that’s something that we’re currently navigating.

JP: Would you say you lean toward “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
CC: Someone asked me recently, “What are your hobbies?” I replied honestly and said that I love my work of building more resilient communities so much that I do it for fun. I think that sums it up.

JP: What is one of your favorite quotes?
CC: Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it. – James Baldwin

JP: What is the key point you would like readers to take away from this interview?
CC: I have a history of showing up and fighting for our community. I’ve been a part of teams that have brought about housing solutions for folks experiencing homelessness and teams that have designed shelters for survivors of domestic violence. I’ve contributed to collaboratives that have elevated conversations around, and improved access to, behavioral health care. And I continue to work to ensure that everybody has easy access to COVID-19 vaccines. As a commissioner, I’ll continue to work hard to set us up for the best possible future and do so in a way that brings everyone along.

JP: Thanks for taking time out of your busy campaign to engage with the Bozeman Development Consortium