That's So Auburn!

City of Auburn

Join Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus as she discusses all things Auburn! She will help you get to know the best place in South King County and she hopes you'll listen in with open hearts and open minds and when you hear "That's so Auburn!" it fills you with pride for our city.

  1. Summer wildfire season, World Cup planning with Auburn's Emergency Manager

    3d ago

    Summer wildfire season, World Cup planning with Auburn's Emergency Manager

    We welcome Matthew Colpitts back to the show to talk about emergencies (again)! Matthew and his team are hard at work prepping for the summer season, which includes smoke and wildfires, drought conditions, and oh yeah, this little thing called the World Cup... With games scheduled to start in June through July in our region, we're expecting signficant traffic impact, yes even all the way down here in Auburn.  Matthew Colpitts brings more than 20 years of experience in emergency services, emergency management, safety, security, and leadership. His work has included emergency planning, incident response, preparedness training, community safety, and crisis recovery. Matthew earned his doctorate from Fielding Graduate University, where his research focused on emergency management in educational institutions. He is also a Certified Protection Professional through ASIS and holds TEEX's Infrastructure Protection Certificate, FEMA's HSEEP certificate, FEMA's Professional Development Series certificate, and several advanced incident command and emergency management certifications. In addition to his professional work, Matthew has been active in local and community organizations, including service, civic, and arts-focused groups. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, learning new things, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Dungeons & Dragons. He is also a proud first-generation college graduate from rural Maine and, at home, is part of an adorable family that includes a cat named Mrs. Scraggles.

    43 min
  2. How Auburn prepares for every emergency under the mountain

    08/01/2025

    How Auburn prepares for every emergency under the mountain

    Hello and welcome to episode six of our third season of That's So Auburn! In this episode we're joined by two guests in our City of Auburn Emergency Management division, brand new Emergency Manager Matthew Colpitts and Emergency Management Coordinator Tyler Turner. Matthew is just a few weeks into the job, having joined us July 1, but he brings with him a wealth of knowledge from his over 20 years of experience in emergency management. He earned his doctorate in 2014, with a dissertation focused on senior leadership's perceptions of emergency management in higher education. Previously, he served as the Emergency Preparedness Manager at the University of Washington Bothell, where he oversaw campus emergency operations, preparedness training, incident response, and recovery efforts. In his free time, Matt enjoys traveling and learning new things. A fun fact about him: he's a proud nerd who still plays Dungeons & Dragons! Which I can't wait to ask him about. And Tyler has over 15 years of cumulative Emergency Management & Emergency Services experience. He received his undergrad in Homeland Security & Emergency Management in 2015 from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. He started with the City of Auburn in 2014, and prior to that, worked as a Paramedic throughout the state of Alaska, including remote areas on the North Slope and on offshore vessels in the Arctic. Outside of work, Tyler enjoys spending time with his Wife, Molly, and two Daughters, Emersyn & Maisie. Give the episode a listen and don't forget to like, share and subscribe!

    47 min
  3. Meet the Magic Makers: The Women Behind Auburn's Biggest Events

    06/20/2025

    Meet the Magic Makers: The Women Behind Auburn's Biggest Events

    Hello and welcome to episode four of our third season of That's So Auburn! I'm Nancy Backus, Mayor of the City of Auburn, and today I'm joined by two guests, Interim Events Supervisor Kristy Pachciarz and Events Coordinator Amanda Valdez! They're the brainpower behind many of our events organized by our Parks, Arts and Recreation department, such as Veterans Parade, Petpalooza, KidsDay, Lighted Santa Parade and of course, the Auburn Farmers Market. Kristy has been with the City of Auburn since 2006. It wasn't long after she joined our ranks that she created Petpalooza, one of the premiere pet-related events in South King County, let alone the State of Washington. She's also had a hand in creating half a dozen others, like Daddy Daughter Date Night and Peter Cotton Trail. She organizes the Veterans Parade each and every year, alongside a handful of other major events, so she's quite busy just about every day of the year. Amanda joined the City of Auburn in 2015 and since becoming a coordinator in 2016, has overseen the Auburn Farmers Market each and every summer. She's helped shepherd the market into a premiere shopping experience for our Auburn residents and visitors, bringing fresh produce, craft-made items, delicious sweets and more to thousands of our patrons. She also oversees our Lighted Santa Parade, one of my favorite events of the year. I just love seeing all of the people march down to City Hall and stand in awe as our tree lighter flips the switch. Give us a listen and don't forget to like, share and subscribe!

    37 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Join Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus as she discusses all things Auburn! She will help you get to know the best place in South King County and she hopes you'll listen in with open hearts and open minds and when you hear "That's so Auburn!" it fills you with pride for our city.