Seattle City Makers

For the better part of the past six years, the concept of office to residential conversions has been held up as a potential solution (in some cases THE solution) in downtowns across the country grappling with vacant or underused office properties. But what's a realistic expectation for conversions in Seattle? In addition to cost, what are other considerations impacting the feasibility of these typ...

Perhaps you’ve seen social media videos of or have heard of the residential towers under development downtown with a Boeing fuselage tucked between them. It’s a wild project and it’s just one of the many notable works constructed by Seattle firm JTM Construction. From Weyerhaeuser's headquarters and RailSpur in Pioneer Square to the F5 Tower, Stadium Place and The Jack, JTM has built or renovated...

Did you know the waters of Seattle position us at the sixgill shark capital of the world? Did you hear about a humpback whale recently appearing just 30 feet or so from Pier 59? Are you aware of the Aquarium's remote operated vehicle and the burgeoning blue tech sector in Seattle? We're diving into the deep end with Seattle Aquarium President & CEO Meg McCann.  Meg and Jon discuss the Aquarium...

A meal at FareStart is more than a midweek lunch or a guest chef dinner, although those are great in and of themselves. Dining at FareStart is experiencing a nonprofit in action. Jon is joined by FareStart CEO Patrick D’Amelio, who has been at the helm of this venerable job training and culinary-based social enterprise nonprofit since 2023. The two discuss Patrick’s 30 years in executive leadershi...

Earlier this summer, DSA and partners launched a coordinated effort to get people sleeping unsheltered in the Pioneer Square neighborhood downtown and on the path to stability. This project required a multi-team effort, close coordination, and there were no extra resources available to lean upon. Community Solutions had developed similar program architecture to address chronic homelessness in more...

This is a first for the Seattle City Makers podcast as we welcome a U.S. ambassador to the show. Jon sits down with former U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Roger Nyhus. A Washington native with a deep history in politics and communications, Ambassador Nyhus and Jon discuss his path to the appointment, his relationship with former President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Bid...

The matches and watch parties now in the rearview, the World Cup-induced energy is still reverberating throughout downtown Seattle. In this second part of our World Cup Conversation episodes, Jon is joined by Peter Tomozawa, the CEO of the Seattle World Cup Local Organizing Committee. Peter joined the show right after the largest sporting event in the world concluded to give us a debrief on how th...

The matches now in the rearview, the World Cup-induced energy is still reverberating throughout downtown Seattle. In the first part of our World Cup Conversation episodes, Jon is joined by Seattle Sports Commission President & CEO Beth Knox and Seattle Reign Chief Business Officer Maya Mendoza-Exstrom. The two co-chairs of the bid to bring the FIFA Men’s World Cup to Seattle will take us behin...

Urban Visions Founder & CEO Greg Smith’s Seattle roots run deep in this city. The fifth-generation Seattleite has developed some of downtown’s signature properties, and real estate runs in his family. There are many tales to tell. Jon and Greg talk about bringing Weyerhaeuser to Pioneer Square; the transformation of the Grand Central Building; his views on downtown and the city; the importance...

The largest Goodwill store in the world (yes, the world) is just south of downtown Seattle. So, it’s fitting that Libby Johnson McKee is the President & CEO of Evergreen Goodwill, since she spent more than a decade as the director of worldwide returns at Amazon. Jon and Libby talk about Evergreen Goodwill handling 119 million pounds of products each year; how her career in tech has impacted Ev...

Seattle’s public library system rivals any other in the nation, and even stands tall internationally, according to the system’s Executive Director and Chief Librarian, Tom Fay. Jon and Tom talk about how Seattle’s libraries compare to other markets; the technological evolution of what we experience via libraries; the upcoming Seattle library levy; the central library as an architectural gem; Tom’s...

Angela Dunleavy’s career in the Seattle food and hospitality sector has been marked by leadership with some really big local brands: Ethan Stowell Restaurants, FareStart and Gournando, to name a few. Her latest venture, Rally, is a creation of her own making building upon that deep food and beverage history. Jon and Angela talk about the founding of Rally; the importance of doing things in-person;...

Seattle sports fans likely know Simply Seattle as the go-to spot for shirts, jerseys, hats and some of the city’s most iconic apparel. But owner Jamie Munson’s story is also one of entrepreneurship, brand building and betting on Seattle’s sports culture. Jon and Jamie talk about Jamie’s path from general manager to owner of Simply Seattle; the growth of the business since purchasing it in 2015; th...

Kevin Martinez grew up in a baseball-loving family in New Jersey, and the love of the game propelled him to a career in the big leagues. An opportunity with the Seattle Mariners sent him across the country in his early 20s, and after a brief stint back east, a love of Seattle and its MLB franchise lured him back. After spending decades directing marketing with the Mariners, he became president of...

The odds are extremely slim that we will ever have a guest on Seattle City Makers with the same first job as Suzana Sakay. The president & CEO of the Washington Athletic Club, Suzana grew up in a Bosnian town across the Sava River from Croatia and her first job was born out of a brutal conflict. Jon and Suzana talk about her role as a NATO translator; her path from the Balkans to Seattle and t...

Katrina Egner began her career in behavioral health as an intern at Sound Behavioral Health in 1997. Today, she’s the president & CEO and leads a team of more than 700 clinicians and staff members. Jon and Katrina talk about the status of behavioral health in Seattle and King County today; how the sector has been playing catch-up for 40 years; a positive development that emerged from a global...

When thinking of senior living facilities, for many the mind wanders to the suburbs. Senior living in Seattle is a little different, with more housing options in and around downtown and Horizon House is a shining example. And they’ve broken ground on a 33-story tower that is already beyond 70% leased. Jon and Erica talk about the roots of her career in Detroit; Seattle as a bit of an outlier with...

Town Hall Seattle is a venue synonymous with conversations and performances that span a wide spectrum: lively and entertaining to deep, important and thought-provoking. Leading this historic venue is Kate Nagle-Caraluzzo. Jon and Kate discuss how a subscription started her on a path to leadership; how Town Hall secures talent; some of her favorite events and guests; Seattle’s Historic Theater Dist...

We’re digging into downtown development on this Seattle City Makers episode. Skanska Executive Vice President & Regional Manager Charlie Foushee sits down with Jon to talk about the ecosystem that is urban development. Jon and Charlie discuss downtown’s residential boom and the need for family housing; the importance of the ground-floor space; return to the office; trends in Seattle and Bellev...

It’s a return to the show for Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle. The District 7 (which includes downtown) councilmember is the chair of the Public Safety Committee, and public safety in Seattle takes up a lot of this conversation. Jon and Bob discuss the current downward trend for violent crime in downtown; Seattle’s public drug use ordinance; Community Court and King Country Drug Court; the L...

If you live or work downtown, there’s a really good chance you benefit from infrastructure that is more than 100 years old under your feet. We’re talking steam as we kick off the fifth season of the Seattle City Makers podcast. Jon is joined by CenTrio Energy Vice President Ian Goepferd. Jon and Ian wind their way through a steam heating utility that features 20 miles of piping under downtown Seat...

It’s a milestone episode for the Seattle City Makers podcast – we've hit the century mark! While all our guests are special to us, for show number 100 we have a guest who is known well beyond our city as we welcome actor, host and comedian Joel McHale to the program. Jon and Joel talk about the actor’s start on the stage at Unexpected Productions; the springboard from the KING 5 show Almost Live!;...

Now that the dust has settled on the November election, it’s time to dig into the analysis, the issues facing our newly elected leaders, the what-does-it-all-mean conversation Seattleites are surely having right now. Political and public affairs consultant Sandeep Kaushik helps us unpack everything.  Jon and Sandeep discuss the Trump effect on our local elections; the idea of issue paralysis; the...

We’re raising the curtain at one of Seattle’s greatest venues on this episode of Seattle City Makers. Bill Berry, the executive & artistic director of the venerable 5th Avenue Theatre joins us to dig into arts & culture in downtown Seattle. Jon and Bill discuss the state of the theatre; upcoming performances, including a production Jesus Christ Superstar that will feature a Seattle music i...

Seattle City Maker listeners, you now have the option to watch these conversations on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/downtownseattle . Kicking off this platform enhancement is Chief Amy Barden, leader of Seattle’s CARE public safety department.  This alternative response team was piloted in downtown two years ago, now they’ve expanded citywide. Jon and Amy talk about the CARE team expansion; the...