Last month, Mayor Bruce Harrell welcomed graduate students participating in the 2023 Mayor’s Public Policy Fellowship to develop public policy and programs for the public good. Working with departments across the City, the nine Fellows will work on and learn from a wide range of meaningful projects for the City of Seattle, with a focus on analytical or research work that serves our community and with a goal of inspiring fellows to pursue a public service career.
Marisol Beas is joining the Innovation & Performance team as a fellow. As part of her role, she will help develop a Civic Research Agenda, aimed at advancing initiatives for the City of Seattle. This project seeks to create a platform for research and innovation to help foster creative partnerships and collaboration with non-profits, academics, or private organizations. Through her work, Marisol seeks to gain a deep understanding of how the city currently leverages partnerships and how they can be further leveraged to advance mayoral and departmental priorities.
“I want to congratulate and celebrate all of our Fellows for joining our One Seattle team – a reflection of their passion for serving the public and their strong experience that stood out in a competitive application process,” said Mayor Harrell. “Young people bring needed new ideas, new perspectives, new energy and represent the future of our City workforce. Thank you for your commitment, your excitement, and your belief that government must be a force for good. Working with leaders like these young people, I know we are laying the groundwork for effective future local government, and I look forward to what we can accomplish together this summer.”
This program originally ran from 2007 – 2009, with 21 Fellows from the University of Washington Evans School completing the program. Three former Fellows currently work for the City as the Director of Innovation & Performance for the City Budget Office, a Strategic Advisor for Seattle City Light, and a Program Manager for Seattle Public Utilities.
“The Mayor’s Office Fellowship played a critical role in introducing me to local government and kick-starting what has been an incredibly rewarding career over the last 15 years,” said Leah Tivoli, director of Seattle’s Innovation & Performance team. “In my years with the City I’ve worked on a range of topics and projects and had the opportunity to work with passionate people truly making a difference for our community. I’m excited to see the return of this valuable fellowship and look forward to working with the next generation of local government leaders.”
Today, the Mayor’s Public Policy Fellows come from a broader range of study areas and schools in recognition of the diversity of services the City provides. Fellows’ areas of study include public administration, public health, urban planning, social work, and public policy, and they will be working on a range of projects across eight City departments. Fellows will have the opportunity to meet with and learn from City leaders and key policymakers during the program, which runs from June 14, 2023, to September 19, 2023.
Innovation & Performance Fellow Marisol Beas is currently pursuing her master’s degree in public administration at the Evans School of Public Administration and Governance – University of Washington. Motivated by a strong commitment to race and social justice work, her focus lies in exploring and enhancing the intersectionality of public policy and its impact on marginalized communities. As a passionate advocate, she has effectively managed community advocacy projects in mental health at both local and state levels. Her expertise in community-based participatory action research, policy advocacy, and stakeholder collaboration has contributed significantly to systems change within the State of California, resulting in the signing of two mental health bills.
The 2023 Mayor’s Public Policy Fellows are:
- Marisol Beas: City Budget Office – Innovation & Performance
- Surabhi Subedi: Seattle City Light – Electrification and Strategic Technology
- Justin Englund: Seattle Department of Transportation – Green Fleets
- Elena Arakaki: Seattle Parks and Recreation – Policy, Performance & Property
- Janie Stuart: Seattle Human Resources – Talent Acquisition
- Neha Chinwalla: Office of Sustainability and Environment – Communications
- Alison Campion: Office of Housing – Data Accessibility
- Katrina May: Human Services Department – Crime Victim Advocates
- Alicia Yan: Human Services Department – Behavioral Health Crisis Response