Mayor-Elect Bruce Harrell Announces Transition Team and Structure
Harrell assembles 12 committees with nearly 150 Seattle leaders representing the diversity of our city to help set the agenda and drive solutions on critical issues facing the Emerald City
Seattle – Today, Seattle Mayor-elect Bruce Harrell announced members of his transition team and the team’s overall structure, as he seeks experienced leadership and community voices to define his administration. The transition effort, built around 12 topically-oriented committees, will be chaired by former United States Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Equal Opportunity Schools Interim CEO Eddie Lincoln, Uwajimaya President and CEO Denise Moriguchi, and Sea Mar founder and CEO Rogelio Riojas, along with twenty-three co-team leads, and nearly 150 overall members.
“We are building a one-of-a-kind, diverse, and skilled team, filled with the energy and expertise needed to ensure our administration hits the ground running,” said Mayor-elect Bruce Harrell. “With this transition team in place, we have the opportunity in front of us to thoughtfully develop the urgent and forward-looking agenda that will restore our City and propel Seattle forward. I look forward to taking this team’s input and recommendations and putting them into action as we determine our 100 Day and Year One agenda, rebuild trust in City government, and chart Seattle’s future.”
Delivering on his pledge to center and unite the City around progress and shared values, Harrell has assembled a robust and comprehensive team of local civic, business, conservation, youth advocacy, philanthropy, labor, and community leaders to shape and define his agenda. Broken up into twelve issue-specific groups, nearly 150 members make up the most racially and ideologically diverse mayoral transition team in Seattle history. Each group will meet several times over the next two months to discuss and define priorities and focuses for the incoming administration.
The twelve groups are organized around the following focus areas: Arts, Culture, and Nightlife; Climate and Environment; Education and Youth; Government Operations; Housing and Homelessness; Labor and Workforce; Philanthropy; Public Health; Safety and Justice; Small and Local Business; Transportation and Land Use; and Sports and Mentorship.
Team leaders from each of those individual groups will meet as a committee led by Jewell, Lincoln, Moriguchi, and Riojas, identifying mutual priorities, overlapping policy goals, and interconnected opportunities; considering recommendations; and developing frameworks for the Mayor-elect to adopt.
“In this transition team, the Mayor-elect is setting the tone for an administration that is inclusive, dynamic, and diligent,” said former United States Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “The members of this team are policy experts and government leaders, CEOs and workers, Seattleites with real lived and professional experience addressing the issues facing our City. The structure Mayor-elect Harrell has put in place allows these team members to discuss and originate policy, then collaborate and build consensus to best address the needs and intersections of the challenges facing Seattle, from housing and homelessness to public safety and climate action. I’m eager to help guide this work as a transition chair.”
“I know the Mayor-elect called together this team with the values of representation and equity at the forefront and as defining features,” said Eddie Lincoln, interim CEO of Equal Opportunity Schools. “Having leadership at the top that accurately reflects our communities is what is needed to ensure all voices are heard and the best outcomes are reached. Additionally, the Mayor-elect’s specific focus on mentorship, youth, and education demonstrates an important and thorough focus on developing an agenda for not just the challenges of today, but also the opportunities of tomorrow. It’s my honor to help lead and organize this effort.”
“I’m excited Mayor-elect Harrell has made Seattle’s small businesses and working families core to this transition effort,” said Uwajimaya President and CEO Denise Moriguchi. “As we work to exit the pandemic, those local perspectives are integral to constructing a plan that ensures economic recovery and future growth. I’m looking forward to serving as a transition chair and working with this team and the Mayor-elect to set the groundwork for the City of Seattle as a key partner in creating jobs, connecting residents to career opportunities, supporting new and developing businesses, and giving workers the support they need to succeed and thrive.”
“Whether expanding health care access to all Seattleites or addressing the homelessness crisis with urgency and compassion, Mayor-elect Harrell has put forward bold policy proposals to help those most in need and create change,” said Sea Mar Founder and CEO Rogelio Riojas. “With this transition plan in place, the Mayor-elect is taking the necessary steps to make these programs and policies real, to elevate additional needed ideas, and to ensure his administration uplifts marginalized and underrepresented communities in planning and in action. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this effort and serve alongside so many impressive local leaders.”
“After a very long – and, at times, very divisive – campaign season, the most important thing we can do to get off on the right foot is demonstrate our commitment to bringing our City together,” said Harrell. “We cannot accomplish the big ideas or lead the innovations I envision without guidance from a wide array of community members and stakeholders. By calling together this roster of leaders to help define our administration’s priorities, I am making clear my intention for everyone to have a seat at the table.”
See the current list of team members below (italics indicates team lead, organizations listed for identifying purposes only, and names subject to change):
Transition Team Chairs
Sally Jewell, Former United States Secretary of the Interior
Eddie Lincoln, Interim CEO, Equal Opportunity Schools
Denise Moriguchi, President and CEO, Uwajimaya
Rogelio Riojas, Founder and CEO, Sea Mar
Arts, Culture, and Nightlife
Kate Becker, Creative Economy & Recovery Director, King County
Sung Yang, Former Deputy Executive, King County
Royal Alley-Barnes, Interim Director, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture
Manny Cawaling, CEO, Inspire Washington
Duff McKagan, Musician
Dr. Quentin Morris, Musician and Associate Professor, Seattle University
Constance Rice, Civic Leader
Climate and Environment
Jessyn Farrell, Former State Representative
Ken Lederman, Environmental Attorney; Washington Conservation Voters Board
Joanna Grist, Environmental Advocate
Jessica Finn Coven, Former Director, Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment
Sally Jewell, Former United States Secretary of the Interior
Joyce Kelly, Former Executive Staff, Region 10 EPA
Hamdi Mohamed, Port Commissioner-Elect
Eric Salathé, Associate Professor and Climate Scientist, University of Washington
Paula Sardinas, Consultant
Clifford Traisman, Environmental Advocate
Education and Youth
Alexes Harris, Professor of Sociology, University of Washington
Eddie Lincoln, Interim CEO, Equal Opportunity Schools
Janie White, Vice President, Washington Education Association
Sally Clark, Former City Councilmember, City of Seattle
Tracy Flynn, School Inclusion Consultant
Brandon Hersey, School Board Member, Seattle School Board
Dr. Brent Jones, Superintendent, Seattle Public Schools
Dr. Shouan Pan, Chancellor, Seattle Colleges
Margaret Shepherd, University of Washington Administration
Vivian Song Maritz, School Board Member-Elect, Seattle School Board
Sharon Tomiko Santos, State Representative
Government Operations
Tim Ceis, Former Deputy Mayor, City of Seattle
Hyeok Kim, Former Deputy Mayor, City of Seattle
Mike Fong, Former Deputy Mayor, City of Seattle
Calvin Goings, Director, City of Seattle Finance and Administrative Services
Kimberly Loving, Director, City of Seattle Department of Human Resources
Robert Nellams, Director, Seattle Center
George Northcroft, Retired Regional Administrator, US General Services Administration
Housing and Homelessness
Marco Lowe, Housing and Education Leader
Nicole Macri, State Representative
Marc Dones, CEO, Regional Homelessness Authority
Angela Dunleavy, CEO, Farestart
Leo Flor, Director, King County Department of Community and Human Services
Lindsey Grad, SEIU 1199NW
Paul Lambros, CEO, Plymouth Housing
Patience Malaba, Director of Government Relations and Policy, Housing Development Consortium
Daniel Malone, Executive Director, Downtown Emergency Service Center
Barb Oliver, Director of Operations, Sound Foundations NW
George Scarola, Former Director of Homelessness, City of Seattle
Leslie Smith, Vulcan
Anthony Wright, Chief Operating Officer, Pioneer Human Services
Labor and Workforce
Katie Garrow, King County Labor Council
Kenny Stuart, IAFF 27
Monty Anderson, Seattle-King County Building Trades
Marsha Botzer, Pride at Work
Karen Estevenin, Protec17
Samantha Grad, UFCW 21
Zenia Javalera, SEIU 6
Steve Kovac, IBEW Local 77
Chris Lampkin, SEIU 1199NW
David Rolf, SEIU 725 (former)
John Searcey, Teamsters 117
Mark Watson, Washington State Council of County and City Employees
Philanthropy
Katherine Cheng, Sustainability, Social Impact, and Philanthropy Leader
Andi Smith, Executive Director, Ballmer Group
Connie Ballmer, Co-Founder, Ballmer Group
David Bley, CEO, Seattle Foundation
Gordon McHenry, President and CEO, United Way King County
Darrell Powell, Chief Finance Officer, YMCA of Greater Seattle
Dennis Quirin, Executive Director, Raikes Foundation
Alice Shobe, Global Director, Amazon in the Community
Neal Myrick, Vice President Social Impact, Tableau (Salesforce)
Public Health
Rogelio Riojas, Founder and CEO, Sea Mar
Dr. Ben Danielson, UW Medicine
David Frockt, State Senator
Libby Gates-McPhee, Behavioral Health Leader
Hilary Godwin, Dean, University of Washington School of Public Health
Sterling Harders, SEIU 775
Teresa Mosqueda, City Councilmember, City of Seattle
Dr. Paul Ramsey, CEO, UW Medicine
Mary Ellen Stone, Executive Director, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
Fred Swanson, Executive Director, Gay City
Dennis Worsham, Interim Director, Public Health – Seattle & King County
Safety and Justice
Kim Bogucki, Seattle PD Detective and Co-Founder, The IF Project
Hon. Bonnie Glenn
Monica Alexander, Interim Executive Director, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center
DeVitta Briscoe, Executive Director, Not This Time
Tim Burgess, Former Mayor and City Councilmember, City of Seattle
Mo Classen, Former Prosecutor, King County
Gabe Galanda, Attorney
Erin Goodman, SODO BIA
Darrah Hinton, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, King County
Renée Hopkins, Alliance for Gun Responsibility
Aleksa Manila, Drag Queen and Behavioral Health Counselor
David Perez, Attorney
Harold Scoggins, Fire Chief, Seattle Fire Department
Small and Local Business
Ollie Garrett, President and CEO, Tabor 100
Rachel Smith, CEO, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
Rita Brogan, Founder, PRR
Louise Chernin, Former President and CEO, GSBA
Joe Fugere, Small Business Owner, Tutta Bella
Shelley Gaddie, Founder and President, ProjectCorps
Taylor Hoang, Amazon
Carmen Mayo, President, The Links Seattle
Nate Miles, Civic and Business Leader
Denise Moriguchi, President and CEO, Uwajimaya
Linda Di Lello Morton, Small Business Owner, Terra Plata
Tom Norwalk, Visit Seattle
Kylie Rolf, Downtown Seattle Association
Peter Schrappen, Northwest Marine Trade Association
Brad Silverberg, Business Leader
Barb Wilson, Microsoft
Transportation and Land Use
Genesee Adkins, WSP
Rob Johnson, Former City Councilmember, City of Seattle
Derrick Belgarde, Executive Director, Chief Seattle Club
Adiam Emery, Division Director, Seattle Department of Transportation
Chris Gregorich, Seattle Department of Transportation
Ada Healey, Vulcan
Ben Maritz, Housing Leader
Chris Thomas, Lyft
Javier Valdez, State Representative
Terry White, General Manager, King County Metro
James Wong, CEO, Vibrant Cities
Sports and Mentorship
Gerald Hankerson, President, Alaska, Oregon and Washington State Area Conference of the NAACP
Dawn Trudeau, Seattle Storm
Laurie Black, President and CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of King County
Beth Knox, President, Seattle Sports Commission
Peter Lukevich, Attorney and Sports Field Advocate
Maya Mendoza-Extrom, Seattle Sounders FC
Eric Pettigrew, Former State Representative
Fred Rivera, Seattle Mariners
Wally Walker, Former Player and Executive, Seattle SuperSonics
