Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the appointment of Brooke Belman as Director of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), effective October 1, 2025.
SDCI’s work touches nearly every neighborhood and development project in Seattle, and includes reviewing building and land use plans, issuing permits, and ensuring construction complies with city codes. These efforts are essential to advancing safety and sustainability, and ensuring the city’s growth reflects Seattle’s needs and priorities.
“SDCI plays a vital role in helping Seattle evolve to meet our needs today and for decades to come,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “I want to thank Kye Lee for his service and leadership as interim director at a critical time, and I want to welcome Brooke as she takes on this vital role at a time of immense opportunity for our city. Brooke is a proven leader with a strong record of turning policies into meaningful outcomes though an innovative and collaborative approach. I’m confident that with her leadership, SDCI will help make our One Seattle vision a reality, advancing affordability, supporting small businesses, and strengthening livable neighborhoods.”
Each year, SDCI reviews and approves more than 55,000 land use and construction permits and conducts approximately 240,000 on-site and 10,000 virtual inspections. Among her responsibilities as Director, Belman will help ensure Mayor Harrell’s Executive Order requiring comprehensive permitting reforms—the PACT initiative—is successfully implemented, cutting review cycles for housing by 50% and making it easier for small businesses to fill vacant spaces and improve storefronts, among other goals.
“I’ve spent my career bringing community members, public officials, and nonprofit and corporate partners together to get critical projects across the finish line, and I know the central role permitting and inspections play in making a project—and a city—successful,” said Brooke Belman. “I’ve experienced this both as a resident navigating the challenges of a small home-improvement project during COVID and as a leader at Sound Transit helping enable the development of new affordable housing. My focus at SDCI will be making our processes easier, more predictable, and more efficient for everyone we serve.”
About Brooke Belman
Brooke joins the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) with more than two decades of relevant experience, including work advancing major infrastructure, housing, and land use initiatives across the region. At Sound Transit she served a variety of roles including Deputy CEO and Interim CEO and oversaw some of the Puget Sound region’s largest and most complex projects, including Link Light Rail, Sounder Commuter Rail, and future Bus Rapid Transit. These extensive undertakings required extensive permitting, environmental review, and construction management—work that mirrors SDCI’s charge to oversee safe, sustainable, and equitable growth across Seattle.
Brooke also authored Sound Transit’s equitable transit-oriented development policy, which committed surplus public land to affordable housing and economic development, and oversaw green infrastructure and resiliency initiatives that embedded sustainability into long-term regional growth. With a proven record of managing multidisciplinary teams, navigating regulatory complexity, and forging partnerships with local jurisdictions, she is uniquely prepared to lead SDCI at this pivotal time. Brooke’s leadership will help ensure that Seattle’s growth delivers on the City’s top priorities: expanding affordable housing, streamlining permitting, and strengthening livable neighborhoods for all communities.
What People Are Saying
Marshall Foster, Director, Seattle Center
“I’ve worked closely with Brooke during her time at Sound Transit, and know firsthand her commitment to problem solving, innovation, and safely and efficiently delivering on projects that benefit our communities. I know she’ll bring that same spirit to SDCI as director, and I look forward to continued partnership that supports a vibrant and dynamic city.”
Patience Malaba, Executive Director, Housing Development Consortium
“HDC is proud of our ongoing partnership with Mayor Harrell — reducing barriers and increasing funding to build more affordable homes more quickly. We are thrilled to welcome Brooke Belman to this collaboration as director of SDCI, and know she will be a strong leader in making permitting easier and more efficient, so we can bring even more needed affordable housing to our communities.”
Matt Rosauer, Pine Street Group
“Brooke is smart, exceptionally collaborative, and skilled in navigating complex challenges. SDCI is fortunate to have her impressive leadership, talents, and dedication at the helm.”
Josh LaBelle, Executive Director, Seattle Theater Group
“Brooke Belman is a fabulous business and community leader. We worked closely with Brooke in her wide variety of roles at Sound Transit for many years. Time and time again, Brooke demonstrated her commitment to balancing the interests of the business sector and creating strong relationships that advanced shared goals. Seattle Theatre Group looks forward the working with Brooke in her new role as Seattle Dept of Construction and Inspection.”