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Thank you.

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In preparing for today, I
spent some time in reflection,

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and one of the thoughts that
kept coming back to me was,

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I wish I had appreciated
this moment a little bit

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more the past four years.

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And that led me to creating
a short list of things that

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I wish I had appreciated
during my first four years

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as a general manager for
Seattle Public Utilities.

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And therefore, these are
things that I hope to

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cherish more in the next
three and a half, four years.

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So the first one, I wish I
had appreciated more the

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incredible privilege of working
with our Seattle electeds.

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This city is so blessed to
have electeds who genuinely

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care about our city, the
environment, and those

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that are most vulnerable.

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And I count it one of my
greatest career experiences

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to work alongside our
electeds in addressing our

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greatest city challenges.

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Number two, I wish I'd
appreciated more of the

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power that comes from
voices in our community.

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The past four years, it's
the voice of community

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and the power of that
community that has motivated

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and empowered our
department, Seattle Public

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Utilities, to do more.

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Whether that's working
with the Duwamish River

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Community Coalition to
address sea level rise

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and contaminated sediment
in the Duwamish,

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or tirelessly working with
the Muckleshoot Indian tribe

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to restore the Sock I
run on the Cedar River.

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Number three, I wish I
had appreciated more

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the value of my peers.

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Our job as directors
of city departments

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can be lonely at times,
and I've definitely

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underappreciated the value
of the incredible wealth

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and knowledge and
experience of my peers.

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but more than just their
knowledge and experience,

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what I've underappreciated
is their friendship, their

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empathy, and their support.

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Number four, I wish I'd
appreciated more the

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amazing power that we have
to transform neighborhoods

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when we work together.

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In the past four years, I've
seen departments come together

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to revitalize the downtown
core, to address public

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safety issues through our
coordinated approach in Little

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Saigon, and to work to mitigate
sea level rise in the Duwamish.

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And I've underappreciated the
incredible power we have when we

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combine our resources
together and work to focus on

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neighborhood transformation.

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Number five, I wish I'd
appreciated more of the

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the support that I've received
from my colleagues at SPU

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during difficult times.

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A little more than two years
ago, my life was thrown into

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complete disarray when my
20-year-old son passed away.

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My SPU family stepped up in
so many ways, and the city

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family stepped up in so many
ways to support me through

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that time, and it's a debt
that I can never repay.

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Number six, I wish I'd
appreciated more of the strength

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that I receive from my wife
and and my children to

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step out every day.

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I've heard it said that when
your marriage is strong,

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the world around you
can be falling apart,

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but you'll be able to
step out in strength.

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And I've underappreciated the
gift of my wife and children

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and giving me the strength
each day to step out

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and to serve our city.

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And then lastly, I wish I'd
appreciated more of the hope

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that I have from
my faith in God.

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I've had good moments
and not so good moments

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over the last four years,
but through it all,

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my greatest strength and hope
has come from my faith in God,

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and that is something I know
I never fully appreciate.

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I want to close just by
saying a heartfelt thank you

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to Mayor Wilson, to
our council members,

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for allowing me to continue
serving in this role

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as the general manager and CEO
for Seattle Public Utilities.

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I'll do my best these next
four years to truly cherish

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and appreciate the incredible
privilege and responsibility

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that I've been entrusted with.

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Thank you.

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All right.

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Can you raise your right hand
and repeat after me, please?

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All right.

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I, Andrew Lee.

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I, Andrew Lee.

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Swear that I possess all
of the qualifications.

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Swear that I possess all
of the qualifications.

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Prescribed in the
Seattle City Charter.

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prescribed in the
Seattle City Charter

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and the Seattle Municipal Code

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for the position of
Director of Seattle

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Public Utilities

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that I will support
the Constitution

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of the United States

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and the Constitution of
the State of Washington

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and the Charter and Ordinances
of the City of Seattle

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and that I will
faithfully conduct myself

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And that I will faithfully
conduct myself.

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As the director of SPU.

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As the director of SPU.

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Congratulations.