The Asian Pacific Islander community held a welcome reception on Nov. 4 for Mami Hara, newly confirmed director of Seattle Public Utilities. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, who pushed for the event, gave some brief remarks. Diane Sugimura and John Okamoto organized the reception at the Nagomi Tea House.
Sugimura appointed interim director of new planning office
Mayor Ed Murray named Diane Sugimura, current director of the Department of Planning and Development, as interim director of the new Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD). In his 2016 budget, the mayor is proposing to coordinate strategic planning functions across city departments in one single entity, OPCD, to better manage planning and investments […]
Diane Sugimura: 35 years of planning for Seattle
By Irfan Shariff Northwest Asian Weekly One could consider Diane Sugimura as the woman behind Seattle’s skyline. She is the city’s director of planning and development and leads the 300-plus employees of the city’s department. Last year, she celebrated over 35 years of service to the city.
Mayor McGinn starts the year with big announcements
“It’s very important to us to hear from everyone in Seattle about what they think is important,” Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said late last year, referring to how his campaign was run differently than how others are normally run — in a good way — and how he hopes to continue this grassroots spirit in his administration.
Dec. 10: Mayor-elect McGinn announces cabinet members
Former state legislator and transition co-facilitator Kip Tokuda has accepted the position of Acting Director of Human Services. Tokuda will serve in the position until a permanent director is selected.