Seattle mayor-elect announces new administration, including niece

Seattle Mayor-elect Bruce Harrell announced the first members of his new administration on Monday.

Bruce Harrell unveils transition team led by former Obama cabinet secretary

Most notable are the three deputy mayors that Harrell has appointed:

• Monisha Harrell, Harrell’s niece and campaign manager
• Tiffany Washington, deputy mayor of housing and homelessness
• Unnamed deputy mayor of external relations, a position open in January

“I want that deputy mayor position to focus on what the residents and small businesses demanded from the City when they elected me,” Mayor-elect Harrell said in a news release. “The deputy mayor of external relations will help build the external partnerships needed to deliver results in measurable terms.”

Washington, the current deputy mayor, will ensure continuity as Bruce Harrell’s team addresses the city’s homelessness crisis, the administration explained in a news release. The position will develop accountability, transparency, and streamline processes.

Monisha Harrell’s experience handling police reform for the state and monitoring Seattle’s federal consent decree will play an important role in the administration’s effort to reimagine police services and public safety.

“Our announcement today makes clear that my administration will be centered on competency and urgency,” Bruce Harrell said in a news release. “My administration will combine ambitious vision and bold, progress-driving ideas with the experienced leadership needed to take action and hit the ground running. I’m proud of the team we’re building, united around the common purpose of making Seattle a bright, prosperous, and thriving city for all. Our team will set a new tone and deliver positive change through new energy and proven decisiveness rooted in community relationships and values.”

Other roles include:

• Former City Councilmember and interim Mayor Tim Burgess — director of strategic initiatives
• Current City Council Central Staff Deputy Director Dan Eder — director of policy
• SDOT Transportation Operations Division Director Adiam Emery — chief equity officer
• Expert in private and public sector housing policy Marco Lowe — chief operations officer
• Current Innovation and Performance Interim Director Julie Dingley — interim director of the City Budget Office (Dingley replaces Ben Noble, who recently announced his departure from the office.)
• Pedro Gómez and Gerald Hankerson — external affairs and equity work
• Vinh Tang — technology initiatives

Mayor-elect Bruce Harrell’s team said it will make additional announcements regarding staffing in the weeks leading up to his inauguration on Jan. 4.

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