Board Information

Matt Watkins, Chair

Mayor - City of Pasco

Mayor Matt Watkins was elected to the Pasco City Council in 2004, and was elected as Mayor by the council in 2010.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in social science from Washington State University and currently works as a software engineer for Lockheed Martin Information Technology in Richland, Washington.  His term on the City Council expires on December 31, 2019.

Mayor Watkins’ grandparents settled in Eltopia during the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project farming asparagus and in Pasco with a downtown laundry service.  Matt’s hobbies include competitive long-distance motorcycle riding, as well as he has toured the U.S. and Canada extensively, and has finished the “Iron Butt Rally” twice.

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  12 Years

Bob Koch, Vice Chair

Commissioner - District 2 - Franklin County

No biography at this time.

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  9 Years

Rick Miller

Commissioner - District 3 - Franklin County

No biography at this time

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  7 Years

Steve Becken

Council Member - City of Prosser

Council Member Steve Becken has served on the Prosser City Council since November of 1991 when he was appointed to fill a vacancy.  During his tenure, Steve has served as Mayor Pro-Tem and acted as the City’s representative on various Boards and Committees.  His employment with Benton County, until his retirement after 38 years, has given him the needed experience to successfully service in any capacity.  He, along with his wife Barbara have dedicated many hours to various community organizations during the 36 years they have lived in Prosser.

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  12 Years

Richard Bloom

Council Member - City of West Richland

Council Member Richard Bloom is serving his second term on the West Richland City Council.  He stated working for the Department of Energy contractors in October 1980.  He has worked for several contractors both at the DOE Hanford site and the Rocky Flats site, outside of Denver.  Richard retired in 2011 from his position as an Environmental Control Officer for the Plutonium Finishing Plant.

Richard is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge with degrees (BS and MS) in Physics.  He served in the Navy from July 1976 to October 1980 and achieved the rank of Lieutenant.

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  6 Years

Lisa Stade

Council member - Benton City

No biography at this time

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  3 Years

Terry Christensen

Mayor Pro Tem - City of Richland

Terry Christensen was elected to the Richland City Council in 2011.  Raised in Richland, Terry has life-long family, personal, and professional ties in the community.  His professional experience includes a degree in Business Administration from Central Washington University and over 35 years of finance and business management experience in both commercial and government industries, 27 of which were spent working at Hanford.  Terry retired from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 2011.

Terry has been involved with numerous community projects over the years, choosing to volunteer his time to support efforts that he believes enhance Richland’s quality of life.  In addition to serving on the Richland Parks & Recreation Commission for 10 years (5 years as Chairman and 3 years as Vice Chairman), Terry’s past volunteer efforts include:  25 years with the Tri-City Girls Fast Pitch Softball Association, serving many years as President and currently Officer; the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau Sports Council; former Trustee with the Richland Rod and Gun Club; the City of Richland Tourism Committee; and the Richland High School Bomber Boosters.

Terry and his wife, Rosa, raised their four children in this community and now enjoy watching their grandchildren grow up here as well.  When he is not working, volunteering, or coaching, Terry’s favorite pastimes include boating with his family on the Columbia River, camping and fishing with his grandchildren and watching the Seahawks Games.

His 2014-2015 liaison duties including being on the Board of Directors for Ben Franklin Transit, Benton County 2060 Affordable Housing Steering Committee, the Richland Code Enforcement Board, the Port of Benton, and the Energy Communities Alliance.  He also served on the Council Assignments Committee and as an alternate liaison to the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Port of Kennewick, Business License Reserve Committee, Economic Development Committee and the Richland Seniors Association.

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  4 Years

Steve Young

Mayor - City of Kennewick

Steve Young currently serves as the Mayor, City of Kennewick,    Chairman of the Council Budget and Administration committee, TRIDEC Executive Board, Chairman of the Manhattan Project Park Advocacy Committee, Visit Tri-Cities (Visitor and Convention Bureau), TRIDEC Board, Joint City of Kennewick, Port of Kennewick, Benton County and Trios Board, Coliseum Joint Advisory Committee, Fireman’s Pension Board, LEOFF Disability Board, Vice Chairman of the Hanford Communities, Vice Chairman of Energy Communities Alliance, Chairman of the ECA Contracting Commission and National Association of Mayors.

Steve Young and his wife Anita along with their three children and six grand-children have lived in the city of Kennewick since 1986.  During that time, he has worked as a budget and program manager for prime contractors at the Hanford Site.  In 2011 Steve became the Vice President of Mission Support Alliance a company with nearly 2000 employees, where he continues to support DOE in site wide program integration and budget planning for the Richland Operations Office.  Steve attended Tulsa University where he studied Economics.  During his years living in the city of Kennewick Steve has served as Chairman of the Planning Commission, where he focused on promoting economic development and controlled growth and Chairman of the Civil Service Commission to ensure the highest level of safety for the city’s citizens.  Additionally, Steve served on the Kennewick Public Facilities District as one of seven original Board members and was assigned by the Kennewick City Council with responsibility for overseeing the design and construction of the Three Rivers Convention Center and construction of the Tri-Cities Business and Visitor Center. In December 2008 Steve was appointed to the Kennewick City Council to replace Mayor Jim Beaver who was elected as a Benton County Commissioner in that same year.  In 2009, the City Council elected Steve as Mayor where he continues to serve Kennewick.

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  4 Months

Shon Small

Commissioner - District 2 - Benton County

District 2 Commissioner Shon Small was elected to the Board on January 1, 2011. Shon has served Benton County for 26 years with 20 of those years working in Law Enforcement for the Benton County Sheriff's Office.

Shon was born in Seattle, Washington and moved to Grandview when very young. He attended Grandview High School receiving a football scholarship at Walla Walla Community College. While there, he majored in Criminal Justice, preparing him for a future career as a Police Officer.

During his career as a Deputy Sheriff, he had the opportunity to work as a Field Training Officer, member of the Metro Drug Task Force, Incident Commander of the Benton County Clandestine Lab Team, a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) and was chosen to be a member of the Sniper Observation Team (SOT).

In 2005, he was assigned to the Detective Division at the Sheriff’s Office monitoring registered sex offenders and assigned to serve on the Multi-Agency Sex Offender Risk Assessment Committee.

In 2006, Governor Gregoire appointed Shon to serve as a Commissioner on the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission overseeing the state’s budget of $30 million and how it is used to meet training needs for cities and county police officers. 

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  4 Months

Norma Nelson

Non-Voting Union Member - Teamsters Local 839

As a 26 year Dial-A-Ride driver and the Teamster Shop Steward, Norma Nelson was appointed to the Ben Franklin Transit Board of Directors in 2011, as the Non-Voting Union Member.  She represents the interests of the three Teamsters bargaining groups at Ben Franklin Transit and members of the community. 

Special Committees
Vice President of Teamster’s Local 839, Pasco WA;
President of the Joint Council #28 Women Caucus.  The Joint Council represents members in Washington State, parts of Canada, and parts of Alaska.  Their mission is to be involved in their communities and empower women to be involved in their Unions.  Norma has been elected by the Teamster’s Local 839 to be a Delegate and Alternate to the International Committee for the election of the General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 2000, 2005, 2011, 2016.

Civic Organizations
Norma is very involved with Domestic Violence, both in the Tri-Cities and around Washington State.  She also, in collaboration with the Teamsters Union, do several fundraisers for Camp Primetime (Camp Primetime sends disabled children to a camp in the mountains, at no cost to their families).

Current Term

January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2019

Years of BFT Service:  6 Years