Meet the Director
As the leader of Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), Superintendent AP Diaz hopes that every resident and visitor to Seattle will enjoy a deep and rich love of our parks and public spaces. Superintendent Diaz was appointed as interim superintendent in September, 2022, and took his oath of office in July, 2023. Prior to this appointment, Superintendent Diaz served as Executive Officer for the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) and an Assistant General Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Department.
Seattle Parks and Recreation supports healthy people, a thriving environment and vibrant community, providing safe and accessible spaces for residents and visitors to work, recreate, rejuvenate and enhance quality of life and wellness for children, teenagers, adults and seniors. SPR manages a 6,441-acre park system of over 489 parks and extensive natural areas. SPR provides athletic fields, tennis courts, play areas, specialty gardens, and more than 25 miles of boulevards and 120 miles of trails. The system comprises about 12% of the city's land area. SPR also manages many facilities, including 25 community centers, eight indoor swimming pools, two outdoor (summer) swimming pools, two environmental education centers, two small craft centers, four golf courses, an outdoor stadium, and much more.
As the leader of Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR), Superintendent AP Diaz hopes that every resident and visitor to Seattle will enjoy a deep and rich love of our parks and public spaces. Superintendent Diaz was appointed as interim superintendent in September, 2022, and took his oath of office in July, 2023. Prior to this appointment, Superintendent Diaz served as Executive Officer for the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) and an Assistant General Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Department.
Seattle Parks and Recreation supports healthy people, a thriving environment and vibrant community, providing safe and accessible spaces for residents and visitors to work, recreate, rejuvenate and enhance quality of life and wellness for children, teenagers, adults and seniors. SPR manages a 6,441-acre park system of over 489 parks and extensive natural areas. SPR provides athletic fields, tennis courts, play areas, specialty gardens, and more than 25 miles of boulevards and 120 miles of trails. The system comprises about 12% of the city's land area. SPR also manages many facilities, including 25 community centers, eight indoor swimming pools, two outdoor (summer) swimming pools, two environmental education centers, two small craft centers, four golf courses, an outdoor stadium, and much more.
Derrick Wheeler-Smith is the new director for the Seattle's Office for Civil Rights (SOCR), a department that enforces laws against illegal discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and contracting within Seattle city limits. Wheeler-Smith was sworn in as director in June. He is a Rainier Valley native, and boasts a 20-year impact on racial equity, including his youth outreach days at Franklin High School and his recent role directing Zero Youth Detention for King County.
Tanya Kim is the new director of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD), whose mission is to support people in times of need. Director Kim has been a bold champion for Seattle youth and their families for nearly three decades. She was appointed acting director of HSD in 2021 and confirmed by City Council in 2023. Before her appointment, Director Kim served as HSD’s deputy director and in multiple leadership roles in HSD and the Seattle City Council. Before joining the City of Seattle, she worked at community-based organizations in both direct service and executive-level positions.
Director Kim and HSD are responsible for stewarding the City’s $300+ million of safety net investments to communities in need, emphasizing BIPOC populations. To do this, HSD invests in community organizations and programs that support strong and healthy communities; bring together leaders from various sectors and communities to engage in dialogue, share best practices, and develop solutions to complex human service challenges; and serve the community through programs and services. HSD works to invest in strategies, programs, and services that work for the community, promote innovation in service delivery, advance racial equity, and steward public dollars through its four divisions: Aging and Disability Services, Leadership and Administrative Division, Safe and Thriving Communities, and Youth and Family Empowerment.
Rico Quirindongo is the new director of the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD). Director Quirindongo, a noted Seattle architect and community leader, joined OPCD as a deputy director in January of 2021 and was appointed acting director later that year. Before joining the City of Seattle, Director Quirindongo was with the international architecture firm DLR Group where he was the Civic Design Leader for the Northwest Region and spent 25 years working to revitalize and reimagine Seattle historic landmarks and neighborhoods.
OPCD supports thriving communities through an integrated and equitable approach to planning and community investment. OPCD works across City departments to assess community needs, prioritize resources, and develop a vision for how Seattle grows to ensure that we are coordinating and implementing our plans with a cohesive vision.
Markham McIntyre is the new director of the Office of Economic Development (OED). Director McIntyre was born and raised in Seattle. He started as a farmer in East King County, which got him interested in agriculture policies. He went on to work for then-Congressmen Jay Inslee in Washington, D.C. Mayor Bruce Harrell appointed him Director of OED on August 11, 2022. OED works at all levels of the local economy to support small and micro-businesses; partner with neighborhood business districts; support creative business sectors and workers; partner with key industries that drive innovation, job growth, and global competitiveness; and invest in the local workforce with an emphasis on young people, low-income, as well as un- and under-employed adults.
Adrian Diaz was sworn in as Seattle’s Chief of Police in January. Originally from California, the former grocer says he fell in love with Washington after moving to Mercer Island, and has made Washington his home since. He talks about how travel and philosophy shaped his career, and what the job means to him today.
Hamdi Mohamed was sworn in as the director of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs in June. The mission of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs is to improve the lives of Seattle’s immigrant and refugee communities by engaging them in decisions about the City of Seattle’s future and improving the City’s programs and services to meet the needs of all constituents.
Gino Betts Jr. was recently sworn in as the director of the Office of Police Accountability. The Office of Police Accountability (OPA) has authority over allegations of misconduct involving Seattle Police Department (SPD) employees relating to SPD policy and federal, state, and local law. OPA investigates complaints and recommends findings to the Chief of Police. OPA is led by a civilian director and supervisors, while its investigations are carried out by a mix of SPD sergeants and civilian investigators.
Jessyn Farrell was recently sworn in as the director of the Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE). The Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders to develop innovative environmental solutions that foster equity, vibrant communities, and shared prosperity.
Andrew Lee was recently sworn in as the general manager/CEO of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). He comes to the position with more than 20 years of public and private sector utility management experience. Lee will lead SPU's more than 1,400 employees. Together, they tackle the department's three major direct-service providing utilities: the Water Utility, the Drainage and Wastewater Utility, and the Solid Waste Utility.
From Seattle Housing Authority intern to leading the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda), Maiko Winkler-Chin leans into her Japanese heritage and Hawaiian upbringing to center and lift community. Now, she’s been tapped to lead the City of Seattle’s Office of Housing.
Gael D. Tarleton was recently sworn in as the director of Seattle's Office of Intergovernmental Relations, the department that represents the interests of the City of Seattle, building relationships across all levels of government - local, regional, tribal, state, federal, and international. “It's the way the city talks to its partners all over the country and the world,” says Tarleton.
Tarleton has an impressive resume. Mayor Bruce Harrell calls Tarleton a “superstar in the work that she does.” Before coming to Seattle, she worked in Washington D.C. as an intelligence analyst. She worked in tech and higher education before turning to public service in 2007, becoming a port commissioner and serving eight years as a state representative for the 36th District.
Julie Dingley was recently sworn in as director of Seattle’s City Budget Office (CBO), the department responsible for developing and monitoring the City's annual budget, carrying out budget-related functions, and overseeing fiscal policy and financial planning activities. Dingley came to the City of Seattle's City Budget Office after years of serving in the federal White House Office of Management and Budget, with oversight responsibility for nearly $25 billion in resources, including the Department of Justice’s state, local and tribal grants. She most recently served as interim director of Innovation and Performance for the City of Seattle and was a leader in shaping the Seattle Rescue Plan.
