Friends of Waterfront Park President and CEO Joy Shigaki (Photo by Brandon Patoc.)
Friends of Waterfront Park President and CEO Joy Shigaki announced on Monday that she will step down on July 17.
Shigaki, who took over the organization in 2022, helped oversee the grand opening of Seattle’s 20-acre Waterfront Park and expanded the group’s public programming and community partnerships during a key period for the project.
“Leading Friends of Waterfront Park during this significant and dynamic chapter has been an incredible honor,” Shigaki said in a statement. “This park represents what is possible when my beloved hometown comes together with ambition, vision, creativity, and care for community.”
The organization said it will now shift its focus toward long-term programming, operations and partnerships as the park enters its next phase. Carol Binder, a longtime board member and former Pike Place Market PDA executive, will help support leadership during the transition while the nonprofit searches for a permanent replacement.
Shigaki, a fourth-generation Seattle resident, previously worked on civic projects in San Francisco and New York before returning to Seattle for the waterfront initiative.
Leave a Reply