- Good morning.
I am so excited to be here with all of you today.
We are gathering to celebrate and confirm six vital leaders.
These departments spanning economic development,
arts and culture, neighborhoods, utilities, public health,
and sustainability serve as the front line of how our
residents experience this city every single day.
When we set out to find these leaders, we looked for specific
core traits required to execute our administration's
bold vision: the willingness to challenge the status quo
and find new solutions to long-standing municipal
challenges, that they have the deep community empathy to
understand that equity isn't a checklist, it's how
we design our programs and deliver our services, and
the operational excellence to manage massive
infrastructure, public health initiatives, and diverse teams
effectively. We chose these leaders because they
possess the blend of vision and execution that is needed
to push our city forward.
I also want to take a moment to extend my deepest
most sincere gratitude to the incredible individuals
who have stepped up to serve in interim roles during
this process.
As I call your name please stand so we
can probably properly recognize your service so
thank you to Alicia Teal
my applause was so fast I didn't get the rest
of it out of my mouth who served as interim
director of our Office of Economic Development.
Thank you to Sam Reed,
who has been serving as interim director at our
Department of Neighborhoods.
And finally, thank you to Kelly Davidson,
who has been serving as interim at our Office
of Arts and Culture.
Serving as an interim leader is a massive ask.
It requires keeping steady hands on the wheel,
maintaining staff morale and ensuring that our
vital city services never faltered for a single second.
So thank you, and with that, I'm going to invite
Councilmember Foster up to share a few remarks.
There's Councilmember Foster in the house.
Should we reorder?
I see some other council members.
Okay, so we're going to go to council member Eddie Lin.
Come on up.
All right.
I'm going to switch up the order here a little bit.
And I'm here to say a few remarks about another
wonderful director, Director Liliana Ayala.
Where is -- Liliana, can you wave?
I have not seen.
So Liliana Ayala is our new Office of Sustainability
Environment Director.
Liliana brings a demonstrated record of
advancing environmental action grounded in equity,
community, and partnership.
She's known for a collaborative leadership
style that centers community voices and accountability,
including successful work with philanthropic,
nonprofit, government, and grassroots organizations.
And for the last seven years, Liliana has brought her talent
and impact to the Office of Sustainability and Environment.
And appointed as Seattle's first climate justice director,
she helped establish new models for embedding equity
into environmental policy.
She spearheaded the development and execution of Seattle's
Green New Deal, advancing strategies to reduce emissions,
while prioritizing investments in frontline communities and
addressing systemic inequities.
And we know we've made incredible progress and we
have so much more work to do.
As Deputy Director of OSC over the last year, she expanded her
leadership across departmental operations, guiding cross-sector
partnerships and ensuring alignment between climate goals
and community priorities.
And even before joining the city as a staff member, she's
been shaping and influencing the city's approach through
advisory commissions like the Seattle Women's
Commission, serving as vice chair and chair of
the Parks District Oversight Committee, the co-chair of King
County's Open Space Equity Cabinet, and her work toward
developing the Landmark Equity and Environment Initiative.
She previously worked to advance climate and environmental
policy at the federal level, leading policy development
and community outreach for Congressman, a
woman, Pramila Jayapal.
She has been recognized nationally for her leadership
and impact as one of the Grist 50 for her work advancing a more
just and sustainable future.
And was selected as a participant in the Obama
Foundation Leaders USA program and most recently
a facilitator for the Obama Leaders Climate Community of
Practice, further strengthening her leadership in advancing
inclusive, community-driven solutions to complex challenges.
I am so honored and excited to nominate Liliana
Ayala as Director of the Office of Sustainability
and the Environment.
And I just want to speak to
how important it is for your leadership at this
time you know we are going we're in the middle of
updating our 10-year climate action plan and so excited
for your leadership there we are in the middle of
reimagining the future of our city through our
comprehensive plan working closely with the mayor's
office and having difficult decisions to make about
how our city grows and we know that one of the best
things we can do as we look at our climate action
plan and greenhouse gas emissions coming from
transportation coming from our buildings is to help
transition our city to one that you know where we have
housing and trees where people can take transit
where they can have walkable neighborhoods
and to make that possible throughout the city and
to really imagine a future that where we don't
have to rely so much on vehicles and cars to get
where we're going and so I look forward to partnering
with you that's why I'm excited that off
sustainability and environment has been partnered with
land use to work together on these critical issues
also very excited for your leadership to help us
work on our work plan on data centers.
One of the most pressing issues that we see right now,
and I know that you're going to help us work with
our regional partners, work with our community,
with our businesses, with our utilities,
work with our state partners, and even potentially
our federal partners, because this is something that
is going to really shape our country in the years to come.
And I think we can be a leader here, and you're going to
be at the forefront of that.
So super excited for your leadership.
Thank you for your service.
Council Member Foster, would you like to come up?
Wow, wow, wow.
Hi, everyone.
Happy Friday.
I want to start by first thanking Mayor Wilson for her
confidence and support in me and serving in this role.
I want to thank her for her climate and
environmental leadership.
I'm so thrilled to be able to support continued just
climate action in this city.
I want to thank Councilmember Lin for all
of his very kind words.
As he was reading that out, I was like, what, is that me?
Whoa.
So I'm so grateful for his leadership and excited to
work with him and his staff and very excited to work
with the esteemed city council members in my
tenure in this role.
I want to thank the staff of the Office of Sustainability
and Environment, many who are in this room today.
You all are tenacious, courageous, passionate.
your commitment for the health and well-being of
the city is commendable and it is what drives me
every morning and excites me every morning.
I'm getting a little emotional.
It gets me excited every
morning to come to work.
I see many of our community partners in the room and wow,
I have so much to say about about the role that our
community partners play and have played
specifically in my career
throughout the past 20 years.
I'm so grateful for your partnership,
your voice, your leadership, your vote of confidence,
your gentle nudging and pushing, sometimes maybe not so gentle,
but grateful for the tenacity nonetheless.
I want to recognize my friends and family in this room,
all of the support that you've all lended.
My mom's here and she flew here.
She's there.
She flew here from Texas and we are welcoming her
with very beautiful Pacific Northwest weather,
which is maybe atypical but I just want to thank them
for their support and their the sacrifices that they make.
Many of our our family members in our communities have to share
us and share our time in service to the collective
good. I want to recognize that and I want to thank
them for that.
I'm humbled to serve in this role
and am grateful to the Coast Salish tribes for
their leadership and stewardship of land, air, and water.
Since time immemorial, I'm humbled to
be a guest on these lands and to honor their duties of being
a good guest and moving in a respectful way that accounts
for the care of place this place for us now and
the place for our future ancestors.
20 years ago I moved from Seattle to
Seattle from Chicago with a suitcase and a duffel bag
in hand.
I knew nobody in the city.
I didn't know where I was gonna go live.
I didn't know what was gonna unfold and you know flying
past Mount Rainier on that airplane and through the
evergreen forests and over the Puget Sound I felt
tears pooling in my eyes
the emotion caught in my throat I had never seen
a place so beautiful so so wondrous.
And this place has become my home.
My community grew, the land became familiar with
my hands as I stewarded the forests, the trails,
the streams here in service to caring for our
community and for the creatures that live here.
That same wonder and passion continues to guide me in
service to ensuring that all those who live, work,
and play in this beautiful city can breathe clean
air, access fresh local local fruits and vegetables,
have the ability to,
thanks to Andrew Lee and his team,
drink the cleanest water I've ever had in my life.
And be prepared for the impacts of climate change happening now.
Addressing the root causes and impacts is tough
and complex work, and that doesn't mean
that we should shy away from it.
It doesn't mean that we should think of
these solutions as add-ons or optional.
It means that we're obligated to lean in
to systems thinking, to embrace difficult conversations,
to tap into our most creative and bold selves
to scale solutions that we already know are
working and take a leap of faith to try new things.
I'm committed to leading with
with boldness, curiosity, and creativity,
with care, integrity, and accountability,
and a commitment to deep listening and action
for all of you.
Thank you.
- Thank you, Liliana.
Next, we would like to invite Councilmember Foster
to come up.
Thank you so much.
It's so fun to go after Director Ayala because
she's someone I've known and respected for a long
time. Good afternoon, good morning, good evening.
My name is Councilmember Dion Foster and I have the
the pleasure of serving as the chair of the Housing, Arts,
and Civil Rights Committee.
And I get to be here today to talk to you about Office
of Arts and Culture Director Amy Nguyen.
Am I right or am I right?
So here's the thing about Director Nguyen,
White Center's own.
White Center in the House?
I could tell you she's got a master's in urban policy and a
bachelor's in urban studies from the New School in New York.
I can tell you that she spent more than a decade leading
here locally in OPCD, in arts and culture, in community.
I can tell you that she is smart, she is intelligent,
she is connected, but by the applause, you
all already know this.
So let me tell you some things you might not know
about Director Nguyen.
Sorry, friend.
She has the best Zoom background I have ever seen in my life.
You get on a call with her and you're talking about the future
of arts and culture in the city.
And then you're met with this background of like arts
and culture in the city.
And she brings this integrity, this connection, and this
spirit of fun that we all need so much in our
lives doing the incredibly difficult work that we do.
Let me tell you a second thing about director Amy Nguyen.
She brought me the most fun I have had in council
chambers in this job.
Sorry to everybody else.
during her confirmation process because the chambers was full
of people with her face on popsicle sticks.
And you could feel both the art,
the creativity, and the spirit of joy that Amy
brings with her.
And you could feel the spirit of
community in chambers.
I'll tell you, I walked out into chambers that day and
it was so full I turned to my clerk and I was like
are do we have something on the agenda that I forgot
about it was like no those are Amy's people and I was
like okay and so know that when Amy leads the office
of arts and culture she's not just standing there
as a singular director she is standing there with
hundreds of community members behind her and she is
thinking about the thousands and the hundreds of
thousands of residents that that our city serves with
the spirit of service that she brings to that office.
So it is my pleasure to get to introduce,
I think I'm introducing her, I'm gonna do it.
It's my pleasure to invite Director Amy Nguyen here
to share a few words.
Thank you so much for your service.
Even with heels on, I got to move the mic down here.
I wow, that was such a fantastic introduction.
So I'm going to take a moment here and I want to
also start by thanking you, Mayor Wilson for this
profound opportunity.
All the council members here,
I am so honored to get to work alongside you
over these next several years.
My colleagues and friends, family, and
my Office of Arts and Culture staff, you've turned
out again and again.
And I don't want us to sound
like a cult but I feel like like Kelly Davidson my
deputy can also attest to this you never get away
from the office of arts and culture you just keep coming
back so thank you for being here today and thank you
for the trust you have placed in me it is an
honor to stand alongside this remarkable group of
public servants as we take this oath together
while we lead different departments, we share a
common responsibility to help shape the future
of Seattle and improve the lives of the people who
call this home.
My path to this moment has come full
circle. I was born in White Center, grew up in Seattle.
Some of my earliest memories are looking out over
Jackson Street from my grandfather's SRO.
I spent afternoons playing cards at
Magic Dragon on 23rd Ave.
For the Vietnamese folks it was 13.
Yeah, you know that.
And my perspective widened by long evenings
on Rainier, learning photography in the darkroom,
and discovering the power of creative expression.
At the time I didn't realize
those experiences were shaping how I understood
cities and communities.
It wasn't until I left Seattle to study urban policy
and planning in New York that I fully appreciated
what this city had given me.
I came to understand that people don't solely fall
in love with the city because of its exceptional
policies, plans, or infrastructure alone.
They fall in love with a city because of how
it makes them feel.
Through the places that hold memories.
Through culture and tradition.
Through music, art, food, language, and community.
Through the people who make place feel like home.
Over the past decade, I've had the privilege of serving Seattle
in many department roles.
Across every position, I've carried the same
question: How do we meet the needs of a growing
city while preserving the culture, creativity,
and sense of belonging that make people love
this place?
This is why I believe arts and culture are essential
civic infrastructure.
Arts and culture help us understand who we are,
imagine who we can become.
They help young people discover their voice.
They strengthen neighborhoods
and local economies.
they preserve stories and traditions,
and they create opportunities for people to see themselves
and one another with great empathy and understanding.
Over the next three years, I guess three and a half,
my commitment is to champion artists,
cultural organizations, and communities,
and to ensure that arts and culture remain central
to how we build more affordable, connected and vibrant
Seattle. I will also lead with curiosity, collaboration
and a deep belief that the people closest to
our challenges are also closest to the solutions.
And while I have the privilege of leading this
office, creativity is not confined to one department.
Every director standing here today is engaged in the act
of building a city, and a building a city requires
imagination. It requires us to see possibilities
where others see constraints, to listen
before we act, and to create the conditions
for future generations to thrive.
Seattle's story is still being written.
I look forward to helping ensure that artists, communities,
and culture remain at the heart of that story.
Thank you.
Ken, now we would like to invite Council Member Rank to come up.
Hi, everyone.
I'm glad I got to go after Director Nguyen because
she adjusted the mic for me, so thank you for that.
Good morning, everyone.
As your chair of Human Services, Labor, and
economic development it is my distinct honor to be
introducing director Beto Yarse before us today.
Now, Beto Yarse is a business executive, an entrepreneur,
a nonprofit and public sector leader dedicated
to advancing economic equity and entrepreneurship
with over 15 years of experience driving growth and
impact across all sectors.
Now, from his days as a solo immigrant entrepreneur,
word on the street is you could buy the most
gorgeous jewelry from him.
From his time leading at Ventures to his time leading the
Small Business Administration's regional office,
Director Yarse has always put his expertise and experience
to work in service of community.
His generosity and civic-mindedness have
already delivered so much value to our community.
And in the past few months, I've been able to work directly
with Director Yarse, and I've been so impressed
by the depth and breadth of knowledge of the whole spectrum
of our city's economic climate.
And I've been even more impressed by his understanding
of the human factor at the foundation of everything
we do on the policy front.
I also want to note how much excitement has been in community
about Director Yarse coming into this particular role.
I know we've received a number of community letters from key
organizations really celebrating his coming into this role.
And I want to also highlight even our committee appointment
process where my colleagues who sit on the Human
Services, Labor and Economic Development Committee were
teaching me things about Beto's work from the amazing
leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just it was really incredible to see the excitement on the
committee, just championing everything that you've already
done for our community.
The goal of economic development is not about improving metrics
on a spreadsheet.
It's about expanding opportunities for
everyone in Seattle to thrive here.
And our small businesses are more than a livelihood
for Seattle's entrepreneurs.
It's their whole lives.
and Director Yarse gets that and so I'm excited to
see where we go as a city with Director Yarse at
the helm of our Office of Economic Development
and with that I'd like to invite Director
Director, Beto Yarse, to the podium to share his remarks.
Thank you.
BETO YARSE: Wow.
I just feel so honored for the introduction.
Do I really need to do a remarks after that?
Well, I want to start with a thank you
for all our public servants, all the elected officials
that are in the room that serve our city,
our state, our county, and it's just wonderful
to call away with you for all those 20 years
that I've been here in Seattle.
So thank you for your support.
Especially to Mayor Wilson for trusting me in this work
that I'm just always been dreaming
about serving for the city.
I try in multiple ways as an outsider.
As you remember, I run for office in 2018.
I always try to kind of figure out how I get to OED,
and I made it.
So I feel like I just did it.
So I'm feeling so proud as I was just listening
to all these wonderful leaders and then just
looking to the window and seeing the pride flag there.
I feel like how I got here.
So as someone who was immigrating from Mexico in 2003
with a tourist visa and a lot of dreams and starting my own
business with only $250 selling jewelry at farmer's markets
in Fremont, how I was able to get here, how I
was able to navigate the the system.
It was very complicated, I will
say. And then just the opportunity to start getting
there for me to get where I am today.
I feel like the city is in a really pivotal time
for me to kind of share my knowledge and how I
want to continue just sharing those experiences
that I just have, and I reached my American dream
with an incredible community that I have my back.
Many of you are here.
This not happens by accident.
It happens by community and by a tribe.
And I really appreciate all those members of my community
that have just been there for me to achieve
what I have been achieve.
We are not finishing, and I'm gonna need your help
to continue making impact.
So I really, really, really need that you are part of this.
The city of Seattle is an important moment,
a chance to reset and build a future
where we continue making progress as a region
to our more equitable economy that works for everyone.
And I'm so committed for that.
I've been doing it for 20 years in multiple sectors,
and now I have the opportunity to do it at the city.
It's time for us to kind of build that equitable economy
that works for everybody.
I understand very well that the economy is an ecosystem.
We need a thriving small business sector.
From small businesses that you know,
that's what I have done all my career,
you have a very special part in my heart.
I will continue advocating and doing everything that you need
for supporting those small businesses, removing barriers,
How do we create more programs?
How are we more creative?
How do we use our resources in a much better way?
We are already doing some of that.
The Office of Economic Development is doing an amazing
work and we have a really good suite of programs.
But it's time for us to also expand.
I know how hard it is to run a small business.
And I also understand how hard it is for those who are being
underserved, they are BIPOC, black indigenous people
of color.
I am one of them and I know how hard it was for me
and I'm committed to do this work.
At the same time, I am here to kind of work in an ecosystem.
We can do better when we work all together.
Mid-sized business, large businesses,
we all have to come together to the table
to solve the challenges that our city is facing
and I'm committed to do that by bringing people together.
My mom always said like food bring people together and
that's part of my culture And that's what I want to do to
bring everybody in Seattle to come together and work together
to solve the big issues that we have I
Want to also add that the small business are the backbone of
the economy on my previous job We have all the data
They really confirm that all small business create jobs,
Create the backbone, vibrancy on our neighborhoods,
Public safety, and that's what I'm really dedicated to do the
Best possible to continue supporting you.
We are in a vital moment in this time in our city to reset.
And when I say that, if you look into history of our city in
Multiple times, we've been able to reset.
We have listened a lot of challenges that we're facing.
At the same time, it's time for us to diversify our economy.
And how can we do the diversification of our economy?
It's starting building infrastructure and resources
to our key industries, like, for example, clean energy
that we've been talking about, clean jobs, maritime,
infrastructure, workforce development,
so creative economy, all the things that
we do in my office, and I'm dedicated on how
do we expand to that.
The last thing that I want to add is how lucky I am
to be able to collaborate with an amazing team.
All my OED team that is here, you guys are talented,
smart, creative, resourceful, curious.
I've been learning so much in the last 90 days from you,
and I'm just looking forward to continue collaborating
and learning from all of you, because you are amazing,
you are public servants, and then you show up every day
in the needs of our economy.
I will just finish with congratulations
to all my colleagues, all directors.
I'm really looking forward to collaborate with you.
You are amazing leaders, and we are gonna make
this city much better.
And my last thing, just a little commercial.
I don't know if you have here that we just launched
the World Cup yesterday.
So my team is really leading a lot of those activations.
And I really hope that you can enjoy this very, very
magical moment in our city.
And with that, I say goodbye.
And I wish you a very nice Friday.
And thank you very much.
All right.
We would like to invite Council Member Rivera to come up.
I have to adjust the mic again.
All right, good morning everyone and congratulations to all the
directors being sworn in today.
I am so honored to be here as chair of the library's education
and neighborhoods committee of the council to speak on
behalf of director Quinn Pham I'm not going to go
through all of the directors accomplishments professional
accomplishments that got her here today but I want to
do is tell you what I know about director Pham she is
caring she wants to make sure that the Department
The Department of Neighborhoods is giving the best service
to all neighborhoods across the city and working
with community to do so.
She is thoughtful.
She looks at all the sides to all of the issues and come up
with the solution that works best for everyone.
And she is collaborative.
She approaches the work humbly and is interested in partnering
to get the best path forward on all the issues that our cities
and our neighborhoods are facing.
You don't always see that in a person and certainly not
in a leader.
These are qualities that I very much
respect in leadership and we are so lucky to have these
qualities in Director Pham and we are so lucky to be
leading one of the best teams in the city at the
Department of Neighborhoods.
Thank you Director Pham for wanting to have this job
and doing this job and I I invite you to come up
and say a few remarks.
- Ooh, we're almost done, guys.
Hi, everyone.
Good morning, , happy Pride.
First, I would like to thank Mayor Wilson for trusting me to
serve as Director of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to bring my deep community
relationships, a clear vision, and strong executive public
sector leadership to this role.
Congratulations to my fellow directors, Liliana, Amy, Beto,
Andrew, and also Dr. Valenciano.
I look forward to serving the neighbors of Seattle
alongside all of you.
And I want to thank my family.
My kids are asleep, thank God.
My family, especially my husband, my brother, who
are here today, all of my friends and former colleagues,
my amazing community members that continue to show up,
and of course the DON staff that also, I would say,
is a book club and not a cult.
Maybe? No.
Okay.
Who have really been alongside me along this journey
for my confirmation and today for this wearing in.
I truly, this time really means a lot to me for your support.
Growing up, I learned that places and communities do not
become vibrant by accident.
They become vibrant because people care and invest in them.
That belief has guided my entire career.
My most transformative years were spent in the Chinatown
International District.
Yes, my bias.
That neighborhood raised me.
that community became my extended family.
It's where I learned the power
of intergenerational relationships, community
activism, and the delicate balance of
preserving culture while embracing change.
I went to the CID looking for
community and belonging, and somehow I came away
way with a strong sense of purpose.
And in so many ways, the Department of Neighborhoods
has also been part of that journey.
Back in 2012, I was part of the first cohort of the Department
of Neighborhoods People's Academy for Community
Engagement, or PACE.
Through that program, I learned something
that has stayed with me ever since.
Government works best when communities understand
how we engage with it and when government is
willing to listen.
PACE taught me how City Hall
worked, but more importantly it taught me that everyday
people can create extraordinary change when they come
together around a shared vision.
When I later helped launch the Friends of Little
Saigon, the Department of Neighborhoods was also
there again.
Through grants like Small Sparks,
partnerships, historic preservation efforts,
and community engagement, DON helped transform ideas
into action.
It helped residents like me advocate for
parks, preserve cultural identity, organize neighbors,
improve public safety, and shape the future of
our community.
And that is what makes this department
so special.
I am not simply someone who worked alongside
DON, I am someone whose leadership journey was shaped
in part by the department.
I am a product of this leadership of what this
leadership, a part of this department makes possible
and that it was true for me and for the one specific
community that I served.
Imagine what that has been possible across
every neighborhood that DON has supported.
For 35 years, the Department of Neighborhoods has been BTS,
not the global K-pop group,
but maybe we should aspire to be BTS, but working behind the
scenes to help residents build community, preserve history,
strengthen civic participation and ensure the city
reflects its people.
As Seattle prepares to welcome visitors to the World Cup,
thousands of people will experience our
city. They will visit Pioneer Square, they will
walk through the artisan stalls and Pike Place
Market, they will explore the rich flavors of the
Chinatown International District.
They will see the Space Needle, the Monorail,
the Seattle Piano, we have so many icons and many
countless other places that tell the story of who we are.
What many people may not realize is that these places
did not preserve themselves.
Behind many of the places that so clearly define Seattle,
our community has advocated with the Department of
Neighborhoods to protect and preserve them.
I think that's pretty incredible.
As DON's director, my vision is clear.
I want to extend that same power and visibility
to the neighborhoods that have too often been
unseen. I want our most vulnerable
neighborhoods to be seen, connected, and equipped to shape
its own future.
That means strengthening relationships, aligning
our work across departments and partners,
and ensuring that our efforts create meaningful
results for our communities.
It means listening deeply, showing up consistently,
investing in the ideas that come directly from
our residents themselves.
And I want my lived experience to inform this vision
and the city's role in supporting neighborhoods
across Seattle because this is where my
heart is and my passion lie and why I am so honored
that my path has led me here and I was chosen to lead
in this very exact moment alongside all of you.
So thank you so much for this opportunity
to write DON's next chapter as we embark on this
journey together.
Thank you.
Thank you, Director Pham.
For disclosure, my name is also Quinn Pham.
I'm so glad I go by Christina or else we'll have two Quinn.
While there are other, there are two more directors
that one is getting reconfirmed and one is getting confirmed,
we would also like to take the moment for them to come up
and share their remark.
So with that said, we would like to invite
director Andrew Lee to come up.
Thank you.
In preparing for today, I spent some time in
reflection and one of the thoughts that kept coming back
to me was I wish I had appreciated this moment a
a little bit more the past four years.
And that led me to creating a short list
of things that I wish I had appreciated
during my first four years as a general manager
for Seattle Public Utilities.
And therefore, these are things that I hope to cherish more
in the next three and a half, four years.
So the first one, I wish I had appreciated more
the incredible privilege of working
with our Seattle electeds.
This city is so blessed to have electeds
who genuinely care about our city, the environment,
and those that are most vulnerable.
And I count it one of my greatest career experiences
to work alongside our electeds in addressing our
greatest city challenges.
Number two, I wish I'd appreciated more of the power
that comes from voices in our community.
The past four years, it's the voice of community
and the power of that community that has motivated
and empowered our department, Seattle Public Utilities,
to do more, whether that's working with the Duwamish River
Community Coalition to address sea level rise and contaminated
sediment in the Duwamish, or tirelessly working with the
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe to restore the sockeye
run on the Cedar River.
Number three, I wish I had appreciated more the
value of my peers.
Our job as directors of city
departments can be lonely at times and I've definitely
under appreciated the value of the incredible
wealth and knowledge of an experience of my peers
but more than just their knowledge and experience
what I've under appreciated is their friendship their
empathy and their support number four I wish I'd
appreciated more the amazing power that we have to
transform neighborhoods when we work together the
In the past four years, I've seen departments come together
to revitalize the downtown core, to address public safety
issues through our coordinated approach in Little Saigon,
and to work to mitigate sea level rise in the Duwamish.
And I've underappreciated the incredible power we have when we
combine our resources together and work to focus on
neighborhood transformation.
Number five, I wish I'd appreciated more of the
support that I've received from my colleagues at SPU
during difficult times.
A little more than two years ago, my life was thrown into
complete disarray when my 20-year-old son passed away.
My SPU family stepped up in so many ways, and the city family
stepped up in so many ways to support me through that time.
it's a debt that I can never repay.
Number six, I wish I'd appreciated more
of the strength that I received from my wife and my
children to step out every day.
I've heard it said that when your marriage is
strong, the world around you can be falling apart, but
you'll be able to step out in strength.
And I've underappreciated the gift
of my wife and children and giving me the strength each
day to step out and to serve our city.
And then lastly, I wish I'd appreciated
more of the hope that I have from my faith in God.
I've had good moments and not so good moments over
the last four years, but through it all my greatest
strength and hope has come from my faith in God and
that is something I know I never fully appreciate.
I want to close just by saying
a heartfelt thank you to to Mayor Wilson, to
our council members, for allowing me to continue
serving in this role as a general manager CEO for
Seattle Public Utilities.
I'll do my best these next four years to truly cherish
and appreciate the incredible privilege and responsibility
that I've been entrusted with.
Thank you.
We would like to welcome Dr. Sandra Valenciano to
come up for her remarks.
Gosh, I'm not sure that I can go after you.
Good almost afternoon, everyone.
First, I want to thank Mayor Wilson for her confidence and
trust and for the opportunity to serve the people of
Seattle and King County in this role.
If you don't know, the Public Health Director
role is a dual role and so I sit on the Mayor's
Cabinet and the King County Executive's Cabinet.
I'm honored to stand here alongside all of the fellow
department directors as we take this oath of
of service.
I also want to thank the city council, county executive
Zahilai, the King County Council, the public health
staff who have supported me through this process,
community partners, my family, especially my
husband, who's here and has done a lot of daddy daycare
lately, friends.
I have one of my friends who I've known for over 20
years, Miriam from college, and Anais, who's a native
Seattleite who I've known since medical school both
of them convinced me to move to Seattle and everybody
else who has supported me throughout my career and
during this transition public health is fundamentally
a team effort and I recognize that no one
reaches a moment like this alone after four separate
confirmation hearings.
Yes, four.
I can confidently say I have had ample
opportunity to discuss public health.
While I may not recommend that experience
recreationally, I'm grateful for the thoughtful questions,
the engagement, the dialogue, because they
reflect something important.
People in this region care care deeply about
public health and the communities that we serve.
Today is both a professional milestone and a deeply
personal moment for me.
I grew up in a family that relied on many of the same
public systems and safety net services that support millions
of Americans today, including public health clinics.
Those experiences shaped my understanding of what public
service can mean in the life of a child and a family.
They taught me that health is much more than health
care. It is about whether people have access to
opportunity, safe housing, quality education, nutritious
food, economic stability, and communities where
where they can thrive.
Those experiences ultimately led me to a career in medicine
and public health.
Throughout my career, whether serving as a physician,
educator, public health leader, health department executive,
I have been guided by a simple belief.
A person's health and life expectancy
should not be determined by their race, income, zip code,
language, or the circumstances in which they were born.
Public health exists to create the conditions
that allow all people to live healthy, safe, and
fulfilling lives.
Public Health Seattle and King County
has long been recognized as one of the leading public
health nations agencies in the nation, if not
the best one.
Its history is one of scientific
excellence, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to
health equity.
I am humbled by the opportunity to help
carry that legacy forward.
We are entering a period of both challenge and
opportunity. Across the country, as we've all seen,
public health agencies are navigating significant
uncertainty. We continue to face behavioral health and
substance use crises, persistent health inequities,
emerging infectious disease threats, climate-related
health impacts, and increasing demands on our public
health infrastructure.
We're also operating in a rapidly changing
federal environment, and questions about future
funding streams, evolving policy priorities, and the long-term
sustainability of many public health programs.
Yet public health has always done some of its best work
during moments like these.
These challenges remind us why public health matters.
They remind us that strong local public health
systems are essential to protecting communities,
preparing for emergencies, advancing health equity,
and ensuring that every resident has the opportunity
to live a healthy life.
My vision is for a public health system that is trusted,
data-driven, community-centered, and responsive to the evolving
needs of our residents.
A system that embraces innovation while remaining
grounded in science.
A system that listens to communities, partners across
sectors, and recognizes that health is shaped not only in
clinics and hospitals, but also in schools, neighborhoods,
workplaces, and homes.
Most importantly, I want Public Health Seattle and
King County to remain a place where every resident
knows that their health, dignity, and well-being
matter. As I take the oath today, I do so with humility,
gratitude, and a deep sense of responsibility.
To whom much is given, much will be
required. I pledge to listen, to learn, to lead with
integrity, and to work every day in the service of the people of
Seattle and King County.
Thank you for this opportunity.
I look forward to the work ahead.
Thank you.
We're going to move on to the next part of the event,
which is the sharing will come come up to start swearing
in our incumbent directors.
- All right, thank you.
Now it's time for the city clerk speech.
Just kidding.
We're just going to go in order.
So Liliana.
Liliana, did you want your mother to come pin you?
Yes. Yeah?
Okay.
I'll repeat this so that you can repeat after me and be heard.
Okay. Thank you.
All right, Liliana, I just need you to hold up your right
hand and to repeat after me.
All right.
I, Liliana Ayala.
Swear that I possess.
All of the qualifications.
Prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.
And the Seattle Municipal Code.
and the Seattle Municipal Code.
For the position of, I am so sorry.
For the position of.
Do not repeat that.
I'm so sorry.
I apologize.
I have to get my cheeky because there is an error in your oath,
and I apologize, everyone.
I am so sorry.
So, sorry.
for the position of director of the Office of
Sustainability and Environment.
For the position of director of the Office of
Sustainability and Environment.
That I will support the Constitution of
the United States.
That I will support the Constitution of
the United States.
The Constitution of the State of Washington.
And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.
And that I will faithfully conduct myself.
And I will faithfully conduct myself.
As the director of OSC.
Thank you.
Congratulations. Thank you.
Thank you.
All right, thank you.
again sorry about that Andrew all right can you raise
your right hand and repeat after me please all right
I Andrew Lee I Andrew Lee swear that I possess all of
the qualifications swear that I possess all of the
qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter,
prescribed in the Seattle City Charter,
and the Seattle Municipal Code, and the Seattle Municipal
Code, for the position of Director of Seattle Public
Utilities, for the position of Director of Seattle Public
Utilities, that I will support the Constitution of the United
States, that I will support the Constitution of the United
States, and the Constitution of the State of Washington,
and the Constitution of the State of Washington, and
the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle,
and the Charter and ordinances of the
city of Seattle.
And that I will faithfully conduct myself.
As the director of SPU.
I don't know if you can hear me.
I don't hear you.
I love you.
Thank you.
All right, Amy.
You already have that right hand up and I love it.
I'll get even closer to you here so you don't
have to move so far.
Thank you so much.
But you know what, actually whatever is best
for your picture is you.
I don't know, Tim, what's going to look better?
Like this?
Are you ready to repeat after me?
I am ready.
All right.
I, Amy Nguyen.
Swear that I possess.
All of the qualifications prescribed.
In the Seattle City Charter.
And the Seattle Municipal Code.
For the position of Director of Arts and Culture.
For the position of Director of Office of Arts and Culture.
And that I will support the Constitution of
the United States.
I will support the Constitution of the United States.
The Constitution of the State of Washington.
And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.
The Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.
And that I will faithfully conduct myself.
I will faithfully conduct myself.
As Director of the Office of Arts and Culture.
Thank you.
Congratulations. - You wanna take this one?
- Can you right here?
- Yeah, we can do that.
- Yeah.
- Such an honor to be pinned by you.
- You're welcome.
- I never do this.
- Really?
I heard you do good pinning.
- I do.
- No, I never do the pinning.
It's usually a family member.
Oh, God, don't call me out for not having a family.
No.
Don't feel bad, Amy.
I had no family members either.
I showed up like it was a regular work Tuesday on my
first day when I was sworn in.
All right, quit.
Yes, you can have it.
Okay, can you raise your right hand and you're
going to repeat it?
I, Quinn Pham.
Swear that I possess.
Swear that I possess all of the qualifications all the
qualifications prescribed in the Seattle City Charter
Prescribed in the Seattle City Charter and the Seattle
Municipal Code and the Seattle Munis it'd be munis
municipal
Can speak For the position of director
of Department of Neighborhoods before the position
of the director of the Department of Neighborhoods
That I will support the Constitution of the
United States that I will support the Constitution
of the United States the Constitution of the State of
Washington the Constitution of the State of Washington and
the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle and the
Charter and Ordinances of the the city of Seattle and that
I will faithfully conduct myself and that I will
faithfully conduct myself as director of the Department
of Neighborhoods as the the director of the
Department of Neighborhoods.
My god.
I'm going to hold onto this.
I hear about you.
All right.
You Beto?
I feel like I'm getting married.
Are you ready?
I am ready.
Can we do it in Spanish?
Just you.
Just repeat after me.
Hi, Beto Yarse.
I swear that I possess all of the qualifications prescribed
in the Seattle City Charter and the Seattle Municipal Code for
the position of the Director of the Office of Economic
of the Director of the Office of Economic Development.
That I will support the Constitution of
the United States.
That I support the Constitution of the United States.
The Constitution of the State of Washington.
And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.
And that I will faithfully conduct myself.
As the Director.
Of the Department of Economic Development.
of the Department of the Office of Economic Development.
Thank you.
I'm gonna get your pin.
*applause*
*crowd cheers*
We are definitely getting married.
I think we're nervous.
Thank you, I appreciate it.
All right.
And Sandra, Dr. Sandra Valenciano.
Please raise your right hand and repeat after me.
I, Dr. Sandra Valenciano, I, Dr. Sandra Valenciano,
swear that I possess, swear that I possess,
all of the qualifications prescribed,
in the Seattle City Charter, in the Seattle City Charter,
and the Seattle Municipal Code, and the Seattle Municipal Code,
for the position of, for the position of,
the Public Health Seattle and King County Director.
As the Director of Public Health Seattle and King County.
Yes, yes, yes.
That I will support the Constitution of
the United States.
That I will support the Constitution of
the United States.
And the Constitution of the State of Washington.
And the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Seattle.
And that I will faithfully conduct myself.
As the director of the Seattle and King County
Public Health Department.
As the director of Public Health Seattle and King County.
Thank you.
Congratulations.
All right.
- All right, that concluded all of the directors
that were getting confirmed and swearing in today.
Before we break, we would like to invite
all of our new directors to come up to the stage
or in the front to take a photo with Mary Wilson.
And then we do have some cake over here,
so when we say we can break, then we can go get some cake.