{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = John Okamoto | image = John Okamoto answers questions during Council Vacancy appointment process (17324548181).jpg | alt = | image_size = 175 | caption = | office = Member of the Seattle City Council<br>At-large Position 9 | term_start = April 27, 2015 | term_end = November 24, 2015 | predecessor = Sally J. Clark | successor = Lorena González | birth_date = | birth_place = Seattle, Washington, California | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | relations = | spouse = Sharon Okamoto | children = Charissa and Shawna | occupation = | signature = | website = | alma_mater = University of Washington (BA, MPA) }}
'''John Okamoto''' is an American politician and bureaucrat from Seattle, Washington. He was appointed to the District 8 seat on the Seattle City Council in April 2015.
==Early life and education== Okamoto was born and raised in Seattle, earning his bachelor's degree in psychology and his master's in public administration from the University of Washington.<ref name="NW Diversity">{{cite web |last1=Tabafunda |first1=James |title=Diversity at the Top |url=https://nwasianweekly.com/2009/11/diversity-at-the-top-2/ |work=Northwest Asian Weekly |access-date=August 23, 2024 |date=November 19, 2009}}</ref> In 1988, he attended Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.<ref name="NW Diversity"/>
==Career==
Okamoto was the director of Seattle's Human Resources Department from 1991 to 1994, then the director of Engineering from 1994 to 1996.<ref name="NW Diversity"/> From 1996 to 2003, Okamoto led the Assistant Secretary for the Washington State Department of Transportation.<ref name="NVC">{{cite web |last1=Mitsui |first1=Sam |title=John Okamoto receives 2007 Public Employee of the Year Award |url=https://old.nvcfoundation.org/newsletter/2007/6/john-okamoto-receives-2007-public-employee-of-the-year-award/ |publisher=Nisei Veterans Committee |access-date=August 23, 2024 |date=June 2007}}</ref>
Okamoto then became the Chief Administrative Officer for the Port of Seattle from 2003 to 2008.<ref name="Throwdown">{{cite web |last1=Groover |first1=Heidi |title=What We Learned at Friday's Throwdown Over the Current City Council Vacancy |url=https://www.thestranger.com/news/2015/04/27/22111212/what-we-learned-at-fridays-throwdown-over-the-current-city-council-vacancy |work=The Stranger |access-date=August 24, 2024 |date=April 27, 2015}}</ref> During his tenure, he was not directly named in a scathing audit performed by the Port related to construction practices, but was directly named in a separate report on sexually explicit and racist e-mails sent by Port police.<ref name="resign port">{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=Bob |title=Port exec leaves for teachers union job |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/port-exec-leaves-for-teachers-union-job/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=August 24, 2024 |date=April 15, 2008}}</ref> The report stated there "was a lack of adequate oversight by senior members of the Port’s executive staff," which included Okamoto.<ref name="Throwdown"/>
Okamoto left the Port in 2008 to become executive director of the Washington Education Association,<ref name="resign port"/> and stayed in that position until 2014.<ref name="Archives West">{{cite web |title=John Okamoto Subject Files, 2015 |url=https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv753630 |publisher=Archives West |access-date=August 24, 2024}}</ref> From 2014 to 2015, he was the Interim Director of the Seattle Human Services Department.<ref name="resign port"/>
==Seattle City Council==
===Appointment=== In April 2015, City Councilmember Sally J. Clark announced that she would resign her seat to take a job at the University of Washington.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beekman |first1=Daniel |title=Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark stepping down to work at UW |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-city-councilmember-sally-clark-stepping-down-to-work-at-uw/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=August 24, 2024 |date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> The 8-month vacancy would be filled on a "caretaker" capacity, and Okamoto applied for the position.<ref name="NW Run">{{cite web |last1=Ng |first1=Assunta |title=Okamoto to run for City Council |url=https://nwasianweekly.com/2015/04/okamoto-to-run-for-city-council/ |work=Northwest Asian Weekly |access-date=August 24, 2024 |date=April 9, 2015}}</ref> He was one of eight finalist, which included former councilmember Jan Drago and activist Sharon Maeda, that the full council to vote on by simple majority.<ref name="Newest Member">{{cite web |last1=Kroman |first1=David |title=John Okamoto: Seattle's newest council member. |url=https://www.cascadepbs.org/2015/04/john-okamoto-seattles-newest-council-member |work=Crosscut.com |access-date=August 24, 2024 |date=April 27, 2015}}</ref>
Before the vote, each council member was allowed time to speak.<ref name="Newest Member"/> Councilmember Kshama Sawant vehemently argued against Okamoto, citing The Stranger (newspaper) articles about the audits during his time at the Port of Seattle.<ref name="Newest Member"/> After two rounds of voting, Okamoto was appointed to the At-large seat on a vote of 5 to 3.<ref name="Archives West"/><ref name="Newest Member"/>
Okamoto stated he would work with all the council members, but in response to Sawant's criticism, he said, "It’s disappointing. Those charges are false."<ref name="Newest Member"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Groover |first1=Heidi |title=Seattle City Council Appoints John Okamoto to Replace Sally Clark |url=https://www.thestranger.com/news/2015/04/27/22122787/seattle-city-council-appoints-john-okamoto-to-replace-sally-clark |work=The Stranger |access-date=August 24, 2024 |date=April 27, 2015}}</ref> He would call the appointment process "intense" due to the public scrutiny.<ref name="What's it like">{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Josh |title=What’s it like to be appointed to the Seattle City Council? |url=https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/01/whats-it-be-appointed-seattle-city-council |work=Crosscut.com |access-date=August 24, 2024 |date=January 19, 2024}}</ref>
===Tenure=== Okamoto chaired the Housing Affordability, Human Services, and Economic Resiliency Committee and was a member of the Education and Governance, Planning, Land Use and Sustainability, and Select Committee on Housing Affordability committees.<ref name="Archives West"/><ref name="Newest Member"/> While in office, Okamoto sponsored a resolution to “disaggregate” U.S. Census data from aid provided by the city.<ref name="What's it like"/>
Okamoto did not seek a full-term election in 2016.<ref name="Archives West"/>
==Personal life== Okamoto is married to his wife, Sharon, and they have two daughters, Charissa and Shawna.<ref name="NW Diversity"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okamoto, John}} Category:Seattle City Council members Category:University of Washington alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people