Seattle Mayor-Elect Wilson's Team Aligns with Ethics Laws

Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson’s Senior Staff and Ethics Considerations

Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson has assembled a senior staff team composed of individuals from nonprofits, advocacy groups, and public-private partnerships. These professionals have played significant roles in shaping city policy, raising questions about potential conflicts with city ethics laws.

Wilson announced her senior staff earlier this month, emphasizing their deep community ties and expertise. “They bring deep community ties, exceptional issue expertise, and most important of all: a track record of getting things done,” she said.

The team includes members from organizations such as UFCW 3000, Puget Sound Sage, Greater Seattle Partners, and Futurewise. Many of these groups have collaborated with the city and received public funding. Policy experts like Andrew Villeneuve, founder and executive director of the Northwest Progressive Institute, suggest that this approach is not unusual for incoming mayors.

“There's a lot of valuable experience in the nonprofit and private sectors, and that's why incoming elected officials like Katie Wilson turn to those spheres for help with their transitions and staffing needs,” Villeneuve said in an email.

Understanding Conflict-of-Interest Laws

Under Seattle Municipal Code, “covered individuals” — including city officials, employees, and sometimes consultants or board members — are restricted from participating in city business or decisions where they or related persons have a financial interest, unless a waiver is granted. This applies when a city official has a financial interest in a contract or business, worked for an employer or firm within the previous 12 months that has a financial interest in a matter, or when participation would reasonably appear to impair the official’s judgment due to prior professional relationships.

The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC) oversees conflict-of-interest reviews for mayoral staff who have had prior business relationships or contracts with the city. SEEC Executive Director Wayne Barnett explained that incoming administration officials must disclose past ties, request waivers for others, and generally recommend getting off most boards on which they sit.

Barnett noted that both previous Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and current Mayor Bruce Harrell brought in people from organizations with a history in the city. “I am confident we will get Mayor-elect Wilson squared away,” he said.

Key Members of Wilson’s Senior Team

Wilson’s senior team is led by Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt, who previously served as CEO of Greater Seattle Partners, a public-private partnership focused on promoting business and industry growth in the region. Before that, he directed the Seattle Office of Economic Development, where he negotiated the city’s $1.2 billion Climate Pledge Arena development agreement. He also served as the policy lead in Seattle’s effort to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

On Dec. 4, Greater Seattle Partners named Rebecca Lovell interim president and CEO after Surratt left to take on his new role as deputy mayor. The organization maintains close ties to the city, including participation in Harrell’s One Seattle Civic Partnership, which focuses on revitalizing the downtown core.

Former Futurewise Director of External Affairs Kate Brunette Kreuzer will serve as Wilson’s chief of staff, coordinating the mayor’s policy agenda. Futurewise is a statewide land use advocacy nonprofit that leads efforts to advocate for improved housing affordability. In August, Futurewise partnered with Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes-Rinck’s office through the Complete Communities Coalition to support the development of eight additional neighborhood centers to the Seattle Comprehensive Plan’s original 30 centers.

Kreuzer left Futurewise on Nov. 15 after seven years with the organization.

Jen Chan is currently the deputy executive director of the Seattle Housing Authority but will resign on Dec. 31 to take on the role of director of departments. In this position, she will supervise all department directors and oversee implementing policy decisions through city staff. Before her role at the SHA, Chan spent 25 years in city government, including positions such as chief of staff at Seattle City Light, senior operations manager in the Mayor’s Office, and policy and fiscal advisor in the Mayor’s Executive Office.

SHA is a major partner in Seattle’s homelessness response and consistently receives funding from the city and King County. The agency’s 2026 budget shows it was awarded $200,500 for the 2025-2027 period from the Expanded Learning Initiative, funded by King County’s Best Starts for Kids.

Additional Senior Staff Members

Aly Pennucci will serve as director of the City Budget Office. She most recently served as the deputy executive for Whatcom County and as deputy director for the City of Seattle's Council Central Staff before that.

Alex Gallo-Brown will be Wilson’s director of Community Relations, coming from the UFCW 3000.

Nicole Vallestero Soper will work as director of Policy and Innovation. She was previously the policy director at Puget Sound Sage, where she helped secure the nation's first $15 minimum wage in the City of SeaTac.

Seferiana Day Hasegawa will serve as the director of Communications for Wilson’s office. She has led communications for the City of Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development and teaches policy advocacy at the University of Washington School of Social Work.

Wilson will be sworn in and officially take office on Jan. 1, 2026.