Port of Seattle president joins Mayor Harrell’s office during shake-up

SEATTLE – As part of a larger recasting of Mayor Bruce Harrell’s cabinet, Sam Cho, Port of Seattle Commission president, will join the mayor’s office as director of strategic initiatives starting this month.

In his new role, Cho’s work will center on executing Harrell’s downtown activation plan, a set of strategies rolled out earlier this summer in the hopes of revitalizing Seattle’s urban core, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office announced Wednesday.

“As we look to build the Seattle of the future with a cutting-edge economy rooted in equitable growth and expanded opportunity for every neighbor, Sam Cho brings the proven experience we need to ensure our efforts are forward-thinking, innovative, sustainable, and inclusive,” Harrell said in a news release.

Cho said he looked forward to aiding with “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our city center.”

According to the release, Cho will continue to serve in his Port of Seattle commissioner role, but will “recuse himself from procedures when potential conflicts of interest arise following the process outlined in the Code of Ethics for Port Commissioners,” according to the release.

Cho’s current term will end the last day of 2023 and Cho is running unopposed.

Cho replaces Tim Burgess, who now becomes one of Harrell’s deputy mayors, part of a larger shake-up in the mayor’s office, which was announced earlier this summer.

The restructuring, which went into effect on Friday, was first announced this summer after the Seattle Times reported that Senior Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell – Harrell’s niece and campaign manager – was leaving Harrell’s administration after about a year and a half.

Neither Monisha Harrell nor the mayor’s office gave details about why she, the highest-ranking employee under the mayor, was leaving. Both parties called it a mutual decision.

Monisha Harrell is the second deputy mayor to leave without explanation, following the abrupt departure of Kendee Yamaguchi, then-deputy mayor of external relations, late last summer.

In addition to Burgess’ promotion, Executive General Manager Adiam Emery also becomes a deputy mayor, while Andrew Myerberg, special projects director, becomes Harrell’s chief innovation officer.