John Okamoto Subject Files, 2015

John Okamoto served on City Council from May to December 2015. The former Port of Seattle and Washington Education Association executive was appointed to replace Sally Clark, who left for a job at the University of Washington. Okamoto studied at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Business, as well as the program for senior executives in state and local government at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Okamoto previously ran three different cabinet departments for the City of Seattle, including serving as Interim Director of the Human Services Department in 2014 and 2015. From 2008 to 2014, he served as Executive Director of the Washington Education Association. Okamoto was one of 44 who applied to fill the Council vacancy, and one of eight finalists selected by the council. In a 5-3 vote, and despite fierce opposition from Councilmember Kshama Sawant, the council appointed Okamoto to fill Clark's vacant seat. He did not seek a full term election for 2016.