Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson names core leadership team ahead of January swearing-in

Mayor-elect Katie Wilson is offering the clearest look yet at who will help run City Hall when she takes office on Jan. 1, unveiling a mix of City Hall veterans, policy strategists, and longtime allies who will anchor her administration.

Wilson announced several top appointments this week, including a single deputy mayor, which is a different approach compared to previous mayors who enlisted the help of multiple deputy mayors, and a chief of staff who has been one of her closest allies.

Wilson said her senior team brings “deep community ties” and “a track record of getting things done,” and includes:

• Brian Surratt, Deputy Mayor
• Jen Chan, Director of Departments
• Kate Brunette Kreuzer, Chief of Staff
• Seferiana Day, Director of Communications
• Alex Gallo-Brown, Director of Community Relations
• Aly Pennucci, Director of the City Budget Office
• Nicole Vallestero Soper, Director of Policy and Innovation

Surratt to serve as sole deputy mayor

Surratt, a former director of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development, will serve as Wilson’s only deputy mayor, tasked with community engagement and advancing key policy priorities. He previously worked for former Mayor Ed Murray and played a leading role in negotiating Seattle’s $15 minimum wage.

In a 2021 interview with the non-profit organization Seattle CityClub, Surratt provided possible insights into some of his policy principles concerning community policing and the affordability crisis.

When it comes to policing, Surratt explained, “the question for Seattle becomes, how do we create a culture within the city’s police department that can retain and continue to grow and invest in the best officers and also maintain trust with the community, and particularly communities of color?”

When it came to affordability, Surratt said, “We need to have more African Americans and Latinos and Asian Americans, and Native Americans living in downtown to be a part of that community. It can no longer just solely be perceived as a place where you go to work, and you go back to your communities,” Surratt said. “And part of that equity focus is people living together, people living in the same community and accessing the same services, going to the same shops, attending the same shows, and really taking advantage of all those opportunities that a dynamic downtown presents.”

Jen Chan to oversee all city departments

Wilson is consolidating department oversight under Jen Chan, currently the Deputy Executive Director of the Seattle Housing Authority. Chan will supervise all department heads in a move Wilson believes will streamline communication and break down long-standing silos in city government.

Chan has 25 years of City of Seattle experience, including leadership roles at Seattle City Light, Finance and Administrative Services, Parks and Recreation, and the Mayor’s Office.

A trusted ally becomes chief of staff

One of Wilson’s closest political allies, Kate Brunette Kreuzer, will serve as Chief of Staff, which is a position widely viewed as one of the most influential positions in any mayoral administration.

Kreuzer, who spent years at the land-use advocacy nonprofit Futurewise, has a long history of involvement in Wilson’s non-profit lobbying organization, the Transit Riders Union, serving as its treasurer from 2018 to 2022. Despite the organization’s small size and recent financial losses, it has been a key platform for Wilson’s advocacy on transit and housing issues.

As Chief of Staff, Kreuzer will oversee communications and a new Office of Policy and Innovation.

Additional staffing announcements are expected in the coming weeks.

One major decision still unresolved is whether Wilson will retain Police Chief Shon Barnes.

Wilson’s term officially begins Jan. 1.

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