Well, thanks for being here.
This is always exciting. It's Kirsten day.
Enough about us and more about Kirsten.
a few things.
I don't always assume everyone knows what fast does most of the people here do,
but we have a viewing audience right now, and we want to take advantage of this.
let me describe it in a nutshell.
Keep everything moving and grooving.
you know, they look at the operations of our building, and that's not an easy task.
They look at our green fleet of vehicles and make sure that we are using them
responsibly and repairing them.
They look at our they, control our, customer service bureau,
and that becomes a and critical portal to everyone that wants a pothole fixed or,
some work done.
We try to have in our administration and emphasis on core services.
And as we continue to deal with some of the madness we see in
Washington, DC, we know that people want good core services in addition
to being a progressive, welcoming city and the other values that we have.
But in addition to that, they want to make sure the lights are on
and and that we are they we are responding to their needs.
And you've just been masterful in your leadership.
I put it mildly.
One of the
parts of your ecosystem, if you will,
is our work in minority and women owned businesses.
And and I see Alec Garrett here from table 100.
Thank you for being here.
And I see other, business owners here.
What I've always said in this kind of space is that
the people going through the motions for the city, they have to really care.
They have to really get it.
They have to really be engaged,
because we can say all the lofty things up here on the seventh floor.
But unless the department really embraces this work, we're not going to get it done
and clear to you and your department.
Embrace this work.
And I'm very proud to be a partner with you in this work.
And I follow your lead.
And again, Kirsten, you've been just magnificent.
in case you want to know how
you become a department head.
That's where the big bucks are.
look at,
what she's done.
She started in, estate.
As I recall, she had a department of transportation.
You worked at SPU. You worked in the mayor's office.
But you seem to have a remarkable ability to always create
sort of a fun, lively, can-do positive attitude,
in the departments that you touch.
So how you become a department head, I think, is to earn the reputation
of being very collaborative, very kind, very fair and very professional.
And, you know, we do a little snooping around
when they prepare my notes and a few of these notes.
First of all, you are a respected and trusted leader
and known for kindness and humility.
Now that's coming from you. I'm just kidding.
That is that is the the reputation you've developed.
Very thoughtful and connecting with the staff
and understanding the diverse range of work happening within your department.
And extremely resourceful and knowledgeable.
I've been told about some of the fun things you do about,
you know, celebrating milestones, you know, births and and retirements.
I've been told about the, the what's it called, the the Pine Car Derby race, which
I didn't know about until I first asked the law department whether we can do that.
And I didn't do that.
I just I heard you never won, by the way, but, that's okay.
and I know that you are very proud of your,
your partner, Zubin and your beautiful sensei.
And I know he's, competitive like you.
The competitive juices flow, and so he's.
I tease him.
I said, you got flag football coming next, which I think is,
you know, there's a new sport called. I'm.
I'm I'm using you as an example.
This mayor risks all the time.
It's called ultimate frisbee.
That's been out now,
keep that on your checklist, too, because I think
that's going to be a hot sport.
but in all seriousness,
you really epitomize our one Seattle model.
this is really tough work.
I have city employees here.
we we are called to serve in very difficult circumstances.
And there's one word that kept coming up over and over
about you, which I'm most proud of.
That's kindness.
it doesn't show up on a resume.
I know you went to graduate school at Michigan.
That shows up on a resume.
In fact, you almost lost one of the votes on the city council.
You got unanimous.
No, I'm just kidding again. I.
Michigan's an outstanding school, of course, but kindness.
Kindness doesn't show up on a resume.
So I'm honored to celebrate the unanimous vote by the Seattle City Council.
And I want to thank the community for celebrating this.
You know, it could have been just three people here, right?
But it speaks volumes of who you are and what you've done.
So I'm very proud to be a mayor with you.
And with that, we're going to have the ceremonial pin
affixed by our city clerk, Sharon. And,
we'll do that right after you say a few words.
If you don't mind, I present to you our new director,
Kirsten Grove.
Move this statue.
Okay.
So this is
maybe my nightmare to speak after the mayor, but,
first, thank you all very much for being here.
I, I do appreciate it.
and thank you, Mayor Harold, for your, ongoing commitment to the work of PFAs
in particularly to ensuring our women
and minority owned businesses have opportunities to work with the city.
I'd also like to thank Marco Lowe, Kaylee and Daniel
D for their assistance in their time.
They've each been invaluable throughout this process,
and thank you to the council members for the time that you've invested.
And I also want to thank particularly Councilmember Rivera,
whose kind words have made me tear up more than once during this process.
Well, that phase is largely an internal services department.
Our key community partners, including table 100 labor
and our small businesses are essential to ensuring that we provide
excellent customer service, and I want to thank them for their support
and the work they do to keep the city running on a daily basis.
I see Allegra and I have 100 and Mary Key pair of teamsters,
and I want to specifically call them for all of their support and work.
And I'd like to thank my partner Zubin and our son
for their humor and patience with my work with PFAs.
And really, during my entire time with the city.
As Zubin often points out, there's nothing more joy left than not being able
to laugh at yourself.
So thank you for helping me do that and not take things too seriously.
I I'd of course, like to thank my fellow cabinet members,
for their mentorship and assistance and in particular, Fire Chief Scoggins
and Human Services Director Kim, for their continued partnerships.
And I'd like to thank the Office of Economic Development Director,
Mark McIntyre, for what I think was for him, an offhanded conversation
that, for me, was,
really meaningful and helped me articulate why I want to be the first
department director.
So here's the story.
Mark and I were leaving a meeting a few weeks ago, and I was laughing about
how rarely I sit in spaces where people just walk through
our talk, through ideas, and how I enjoyed the novelty of them.
I said that my days were largely working through operational issues issues ever
contract electrical issues at the shelter, ensuring recruitment for key positions.
Markham laughed and asked if I had read this book by the founder
of code for America about the lost art of policy implementation,
and then he went on his way.
I tried to find the book, and I'm actually not sure it's the right one,
but I did read Recode in America by Jennifer Pocket,
and while the book wasn't exactly what I hoped,
what I wanted it to be helped me think about the work of
what all of us who are here from afar has to do.
We make things work through
brilliant examples of policy implementation and iteration.
Take fast fleets, for example.
Our team plans years out to order finance
and electrify a fleet of 3600 vehicles.
The fleets team does so many different things at once.
To make that happen, the team anticipates changing supply chain conditions,
annual budget constraints, trains and recruits, new employees.
So we are skilled.
A skilled workforce improves on methods for efficiently charging our vehicles
and ethically sources fuels from a wimpy vendor, no less.
And the department customers love fleets.
We regularly get compliments,
complimentary emails about the quality of service fleets employees deliver
at work, at fleets is such a brilliant example of policy implementation,
finding the balance of doing so many things well at the same
time, and balancing so many priorities is perhaps one of the hardest things to do.
And we do it well.
Or task force purchasing and contracting,
purchasing and contracting ensured city departments get contracted
goods and services in quickly and cost effectively, and that the business
community, particularly our small and minority owned businesses,
are given a fair opportunity within our processes.
The purchasing and contracting team builds relationships within the system,
integrating and evolving policy directives into our contracting processes,
and the team finds technology solutions to make these relationships more seamless.
Working with project managers with wide ranging expertise
to get their projects accomplished and ensure our wider policy goals are met,
the team makes sure our vendors are paid promptly so they can stay in business,
and we have amazing results
with annual Wimpey spend making up almost a quarter of city contract dollars
for purchasing and contracting balances, the city's policy
needs with the city's need for goods and services to get things done.
And we do it well.
It's an incredibly incredible art
to keep these policy goals balanced and to deliver service for our customers.
And our team at fast has it brilliantly,
and this brilliance and implementation extends across our portfolio
of responsibilities,
including how we build and maintain city facilities such as fire and police
stations around our neighborhood, customer service centers and ministers
in the city's regulatory programs, support citywide real estate needs.
Provide accounting and budgeting services,
for our city of small departments and offices.
Recruiting.
Retain staff through human resources and run this animal shelter.
I mean, if this is the team
that ran the largest civilian led vaccination clinic in the country,
and we truly know how to implement and operationalize city policies
to make things work for our customers.
In my time as a
faster, director, I want to grow this brilliance.
I want to ensure we're expanding our employee skill sets,
adapting more nimbly to changing conditions, and building trust
and collaboration amongst our teams to continue to be the department
designate as the work of brilliant policy implementation.
And I want to say none of this would be possible without our
first leadership team.
I want to thank you all for what you've done to,
to promote a work environment that fosters growth,
collaboration and excellent customer service.
And I particularly
want to thank our division directors, I think, most of whom are here today.
Excuse me.
and I want to thank our directors.
office team Mickey, Jesse, Adrian, Melissa,
Jesse, Sherry and Andy and Julie for all time saying
for everything that you've done
to bring our team, and bring to our team on a daily basis.
You make me proud to be a part of that task
force is truly the backbone of the city, and we play in and play
a role in nearly every element of city service.
This internal, often unseen
work of city government has the ability to catalyze the most significant impacts.
And this is the brilliant work of efforts.
I'm so honored to be the first Department Director, and I thank you again
for your support and time today.
For here.
I guess it's a bit of a formality,
as you've already been introduced. Us?
thank you for letting me be a part of this moment.
Huge pleasure.
All right, so if you want to raise your right hand and repeat after me,
I. Kirsten group
is your single, swear or affirm.
You get to choose.
I swear that I possess all of the qualifications
prescribed in the Seattle City Charter and prescribed in Seattle
and the Seattle Municipal code and the Seattle Municipal for the position
of director of the Department of Finance and Administrative Services,
the position of Director of Finance and Administrative Secretary.
That I will support the Constitution of the United States.
That I will support. The Constitution of the United States.
The Constitution of the State of Washington.
The Constitution of the State of Washington,
and the Charter and Ordinances
of the City of Seattle, and the charter and or the City of Seattle.
And that I will faithfully conduct myself, and I will faithfully
as director of the Department of Finance
and Administrative Services, director of the Department of Finance.
And Jason, congratulations.
I just because you and.
I think.
Three of you that
one, two and three.
One, two and three.
Let's get one without you blinking.
Two and three.
There are drinks
and refreshments, around the neighborhood here.
What a great day, I tell you, Kirsten, she said, and we practiced a little earlier.
She said, you know, I have.
I don't have a really good team. I'm carrying the team.
No, I'm just kidding.
She didn't. She's very, very proud of her team, as we all are.
Thank you very much. Just have a great afternoon. All right?