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My name is Hamdi Mohamed,
and I am the director
of the Office of Immigrant
and Refugee Affairs for the City of Seattle.
I am a Somali American.
I was born in Somalia and left the country
when I was three years old after a civil war broke out.
We were fleeing violence
and persecution, as many refugee families do.
And so my family was looking for safety, security, shelter.
We were chasing the American Dream.
You know, I have always been passionate about service.
And I think back to even being a little girl
in elementary school,
I was that child
that came to school early to help
raise the flag in the morning.
I was the cross guard in the afternoon.
I used to drive my mom a little wild
because I would sign up for all these different activities.
(Hamdi laughing)
We pride ourselves in being a welcoming region,
and immigrant refugee communities
have been on the front lines of supporting our communities
as a whole.
And a lot of the times,
they are not front and center when it comes to
developing policy.
We have to make sure that we're inviting
folks to the table and that they are
part of those decision making processes.
We have to have this sense of belonging. Right?
And so I think it's the same thing
when we're talking about One Seattle.
What is the thing that holds us together?
That has to be centered around collaboration.
How do you manage a person like Hamdi Mohamed?
It's very simple.
Just get out the way.
(audience laughter)
You know, I think me and Bruce make a good partner.
Right.
I'm glad to be on his team
because he brings the same sort of energy I do.
Right? He's got a lot of energy.
I tried to match his energy sometimes.
The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Director.
I recognize the privilege I have today
to be sitting here.
I know that
so many people have invested in me,
and I do feel
a sense of responsibility and a weight on my shoulder
to make sure that I am also paving the way
for the next generation to ensure
that they have the tools they need to be successful.