Inside the leadership transition in Seattle and King County
The recent elections brought significant changes for our hometown, Seattle, and King County, WA. Girmay Zahilay was elected King County Executive, the first new executive in 15 years. Katie Wilson, newer to the political scene, was elected Mayor of Seattle, becoming only the third woman to hold the position.
With these transitions, our team has found an opportunity to do what we do best: help governments function effectively by running processes that center diverse voices and focus on impact.
Uncommon Bridges Partner, Ishmael Nuñez, is leading the facilitation of four transition committees for King County Executive Elect Girmay Zahilay, a process involving 100 leaders from across the county, including government, business, union, and nonprofit leaders.
Partner, Andrés Mantilla, has been named Director for the Katie Wilson Mayoral transition. His leadership is informed by his role in two previous mayoral transitions and his former position as Director of the Department of Neighborhoods for the City of Seattle. He brings with him a broad network from across the city ecosystem, as well as support from our team of strategists and project managers.
The Mayoral transition marks a unique moment for Seattle. The election was decided by a margin of ~2,000 votes, and like much of the country, the city is on edge. There are many forces at work beyond our control. Affordability is more top of mind than ever. Everyone agrees that homelessness is an emergency and that housing needs to be built, but it's so tough to move the needle.
Our firm believes that public institutions can solve problems by listening, staying solutions-focused, and building coalitions to drive change. Our region is home to incredible resources and innovation. We can make it a place that we want to live, work, and play for ours and future generations. We are thrilled to be a part of this moment.
UPDATE 2025: King County transition recommendations are live
The recommendations from King County Executive Girmay Zahilay's transition team have been published. Ishmael reflects on the process:
"It was about more than just gathering ideas from 100 brilliant people. The real goal was to see how these diverse perspectives—a local nonprofit, a major corporation, representatives from different parts of the county—could help us look at problems differently because they were being asked to work together.
I think about the adrienne maree brown quote a lot: there is a magic that only exists because these specific people are in this room together.
Part of this process was for people to discover how they will personally implement the Executive’s vision. It wasn't just about, 'What should the Executive Office do?' but rather, 'What are you going to do?' "
Check out the final recommendations.
