Seattle – Mayor Bruce Harrell and King County Executive Dow Constantine announced today their intention to establish two new temporary committees for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), one to help strengthen the Authority, and one to lead the search for a new permanent Chief Executive Officer. Mayor Harrell and Executive Constantine serve as Co-Chairs of the KCRHA Governing Committee (GC). Resolutions to form the two committees will be voted on at the July 20 GC meeting.
“Effective solutions to our region’s homelessness crisis require strong leadership and sustainable countywide collaboration – now is the appropriate time to reassess how the Governing Committee and Implementation Board can best support the Authority in fulfilling its task of developing a coordinated regional homelessness response system,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “The recommendations these leaders provide will help strengthen the efforts of the Authority and, most importantly, help more people suffering from homelessness come indoors with the services needed to get well.”
“The Regional Homelessness Authority is in a moment of transition, which affords an opportunity for us to look at where it has been and, more importantly, what it needs to succeed,” said Executive Dow Constantine. “The resolutions and support from the Governing Committee for these two committees will produce thoughtful insight and recommendations for tangible action as we look to strengthen the critical work of the Authority and hire a new CEO. I look forward to working with Mayor Harrell, committee members, and partners to make that happen.”
“On hiring the first employee, KCRHA took off at a dead sprint, taking over funding of homeless services for the region, while also beginning a number of new initiatives and crafting a strategic vision for the future,” said Simha Reddy, MD, Implementation Board (IB) Co-Chair. “Two years in, we need to take stock of the Authority and ensure it has the support structures and leadership required for the road ahead.”
Once formalized, a Governance Review Subcommittee will begin to develop recommendations for immediate and medium-term steps that can be taken to improve KCRHA’s oversight and accountability structures and bolster effective agency operations. These recommendations will be shared with both the GC and IB in early September.
The second group, a CEO Search Advisory Committee, will guide the process for selecting KCRHA’s next permanent leader. Final candidate interviews with the IB are expected to occur in December, with a final decision by the GC on the new CEO in early 2024. Both Boards will continue ongoing collaboration with interim CEO Helen Howell through the transition process as a new CEO is brought on. Founding CEO Marc Dones, who announced their resignation in May, had their last day with the Authority on June 16.
Both committees will involve members of the GC and IB, and their membership will reflect the four caucuses of the KCRHA governance structure: King County, the City of Seattle, the Sound Cities Association, and people with the lived experience of homelessness. Additionally, select community leaders from KCRHA partner organizations and philanthropic funders will be asked to participate on the CEO Search Advisory Committee. The selected recruitment firm will also be directed to engage with the homeless service provider community and KCRHA staff as part of their search process.
More information about the purpose and scope of work for the two committees will be publicly available on the KCRHA website as part of the July 20 GC meeting materials.
Governance Review Special Subcommittee Members:
- Bruce Harrell – Special Subcommittee Co-Chair, representing City of Seattle
- Dow Constantine – Special Subcommittee Co-Chair, representing King County
- Ed Prince, representing Sound Cities Association
- Angela Birney, representing Sound Cities Association
- Roosevelt McQuarter, representing lived experience
- Claudia Balducci, representing King County Council
- Andrew Lewis, representing Seattle City Council
- Simha Reddy, representing Implementation Board
- Nate Caminos, representing Implementation Board
CEO Search Advisory Committee Members:
Representation from the Governing Committee and Implementation Board:
- Bruce Harrell, representing City of Seattle, or designated alternate
- Dow Constantine, representing King County, or designated alternate
- Christopher Ross, representing Implementation Board
- Paula Carvalho, representing Implementation Board
- Ben Maritz, representing Implementation Board
Representation from:
6. Sound Cities Association
7. Seattle City Council
8. King County Council
9. We Are In
10. Challenge Seattle
11. Seattle Chamber
12. KCRHA Workforce
13. Service Providers
Individual participants for the organizations listed above will be identified by the first convening of the Search Advisory Committee. At minimum, one member must possess lived experience of homelessness.