Councilmember Dionne Foster's Staff

Email Nausheen

Nausheen Rajan-Jinnah is the Policy Director in Councilmember Foster’s office, covering a wide array of policy issues from transportation to AI. In this role, she is also supporting the Councilmember with scheduling needs. She was the former Policy Advisor for the city of Seattle’s Mayor’s office during the Harrell Administration, where her portfolio covered transportation, parks, and climate action under Deputy Mayor Jessyn Farrell. Prior to joining city government, Nausheen was on the Economic Development Team at Bloomberg Associates, where she advised clients on improving economic mobility outcomes in cities such as Phoenix, Tampa, London, Newark, and New York. 

In the community, Nausheen serves on the Board of Directors at Kandelia, a Seattle based nonprofit that removes barriers to immigrant and refugee success by providing culturally responsive youth, family, and community engagement programs rooted in equity and heritage. In 2020, Nausheen co-founded an initiative to increase generational voter participation and civic engagement in her Muslim community by training over 150 community members how to relationally organize. The initiative was able to reach close to 10,000 individuals. 

Her commitment to public service is shaped by her parents’ story of resiliency as immigrants and economic mobility, and by growing up in an Ismaili Muslim community grounded in service and collective responsibility. Seeing how pathways like affordable education, stable work, and public institutions enabled her family’s progress, and knowing these pathways are no longer guaranteed, drives Nausheen’s passion for public service, specifically in expanding dignity, access, and opportunity for all.

She holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University, as well as a B.A. in International Affairs and Asian Studies from American University. In her spare time, Nausheen enjoys reading, getting out in nature across the many beautiful parks in the city, and watching old Bollywood movies.

Email Sage

As Policy Advisor for Councilmember Foster, Sage staffs a wide range of policy portfolios and clerks the Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights Committee that Councilmember Foster chairs. Originally from eastern Washington, Sage started his career as an organizer for the WA Democrats where he developed a passion for empowering community members to get involved in shaping what their communities look like. Sage holds a Master’s of Public Policy from UC Berkeley focused on economic development and has over nine years of experience as an organizer, campaign manager, and policy professional.

Drawing on his understanding of how to manage large projects and bring diverse groups together to ensure everyone’s voice is heard, Sage is passionate about cultivating a thriving local economy. That includes effectively delivering the essential services workers rely on, lowering housing costs in the city, and creating the conditions for small businesses to succeed.

Sage lives in Seattle with his Australian Cattledog, Roo. During his free time, he loves to sneak out to the Cascades to hike, backpack, mountain bike, and climb.