The Basics
How long have you been at City Light? I have been at City Light since October 2022. Prior to that I’d been with the City of Seattle for about seven years, mostly at the Seattle Department of Transportation. I also worked out-of-class assignments at the Seattle Department of Human Resources and the Office of Housing.
Division: I work for the Communications Division.
Tell us about your role. What does your job entail? I provide administrative support for the Communications Team. I make sure the bills get paid and that we stay on budget. I also help with travel and training and ensure the office runs well and happily.
Background
Hometown: Born in Baltimore, Md., and raised in semi-rural Baltimore County
Alma Mater: University of Maryland
Discipline/Trade of study: Theatre
Tell us about your family: I live in Green Lake with my wife and two sons, who also both work for the City of Seattle, one as a lifeguard and the other as a wading pool attendant.
Just for Fun
What’s one thing that has surprised you about working at City Light? Though in retrospect it makes sense, I was surprised to learn that our board of directors is the City Council. I learned that on my first day at employee orientation.
What was the last song you listened to? Spotify’s telling me it was “Girlfriend is Better” by the Talking Heads.
What’s your favorite book and why? Oh man, I have lots of favorites. But I suppose my close friends and family would insist that I confess that it’s James Joyce’s “Ulysses” given that I talk about it almost all the time and that I have hosted two annual Seattle Bloomsday bar crawls to celebrate the book and its author.
What is something most people don’t know about you? I used to be a playwright, and my plays have been produced off-Broadway, around the country, and in Canada. I’ve written two books: a memoir, “The Starting Gate,” and a novel about my time working for Washington Mutual called “Seattle Trust.”
If you could have any job for only one day, what would it be and why? If it were only for one day, I suppose I’d be an astronaut on the International Space Station. It sounds like an amazing experience, watching 16 sunrises in the space of 24 hours. But I’m pretty claustrophobic, so I don’t think I could stand being cooped up much longer than that.