Somers and Mello Re-Elected to Leadership Roles, Regional Transportation Plan Adopted
SEATTLE- Former Governor Chris Gregoire, CEO of Challenge Seattle, joined the Puget Sound Regional Council's (PSRC) General Assembly for a conversation on the future of the Puget Sound economy. A panel of local business leaders moderated by PSRC Executive Director Josh Brown included Erik Nordstrom, CEO of Nordstrom, Kerri Schroeder, Pacific Northwest Region Chair of JPMorgan Chase and Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft.
PSRC and Challenge Seattle are partnering to develop a Puget Sound Economic Development Strategy to identify high impact actions the region can take to drive continued economic competitiveness. The discussion focused on the strengths and assets of the local economic ecosystem, challenges in the business climate and how to collaborate on economic development to ensure the region continues to thrive.
As part of its annual meeting today, the Assembly unanimously re-elected Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers as President and Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello as Vice-President of the regional planning agency. It also adopted the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) which sets a course for maintaining and expanding our transportation network to ensure residents and goods can travel easily throughout the region. The plan will guide local planning and transportation investments for the future.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson attended to welcome the local elected leaders and to recognize efforts to cooperate regionally on transportation, planning, housing and climate change.
Materials from the event:
- Watch the recording of the discussion on the regional economy.
- View the presentation on regional economic performance markers.
PSRC’s General Assembly includes elected representatives from King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties, and more than 100 cities and towns, state agencies, transit agencies, ports, and Tribal governments.
What Regional Leaders are Saying:
Former Governor Chris Gregoire, CEO of Challenge Seattle
“Washington is one of the most extraordinary places in the world to live, work, and innovate, but right now, we are in a competition for our future. Across our state, employers and residents are telling us the same thing: it’s become too hard to build, too expensive to operate, too uncertain to plan and too unaffordable for working families. Reversing that trajectory will take all of us — businesses, labor, local governments, tribal leaders and state partners — working together to create jobs and make Washington more competitive and more affordable."
Executive Dave Somers, Snohomish County and PSRC President
“It is a great honor to serve as PSRC President. The public is more concerned than ever before about the future and our ability in government to deliver. The work we do is crucial to overcoming that perception. We bring the region together to provide the foundation for the collective vision on transportation, economic development and more. We make the big things happen together.”
Executive Ryan Mello, Pierce County and PSRC Vice-President
“I am proud to serve in this regional leadership role. I look forward to building on our recent investments in infrastructure with a focus on how we can improve the region’s economic resiliency. Together, we can ensure that all parts of the region enjoy ample access to jobs and opportunity.”
Mayor Dana Ralph, City of Kent and Transportation Policy Board Chair
“Adopting a new Regional Transportation Plan is a milestone event. I’m proud of the work regional leadership has done to address shared priorities with the plan and the work we have already begun to implement it as we invest in preservation, maintenance and safety.”
Josh Brown, Executive Director, PSRC
“We have made so much progress on the mobility front in the last few years. We’ve made improvements to safety, enjoyed multiple light rail extension openings and found ways to address a maintenance and preservation backlog. I’m looking forward to seeing what impact we can have as we shift our sights towards building jobs and ensuring the region stays competitive economically.”