Community Engagement Advisors
Community Engagement Advisors partner with City departments to provide advisement, coordination, and support on inclusive community outreach, with a focus on increasing equitable engagement in communities most impacted by the City’s growth, infrastructure needs, and historical injustices.
Examples of services we provide our City departments include:
- Provide Leadership - Design, lead, and implement strategic community outreach and engagement efforts
- Make Connections - Identify key stakeholders and make connections across city projects
- Foster Relationships - Partner with community for solutions
- Guide Colleagues - Provide guidance and best practices for communicating with diverse audiences
- Center Equity - Advise and create policies on equity
Case studies
Seattle Department of Transportation
Project: Flip Your Trip (FYT) is a City program of Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to increase the use of transportation alternatives over single occupancy vehicles.
Issue: There was little to no awareness of the Flip Your Trip program in BIPOC communities.
Solution: Addressed barriers to participation by partnering with Community-based organizations and involving a trusted leader from the Black community to serve as messenger in the initiative.
"Seattle Department of Neighborhoods' (DON) role in these efforts underscores its critical contribution to City staff, like myself, who may lack deep-rooted community connections. By bridging this gap, DON ensures we can uphold the 'One Seattle' principle, enabling us to navigate the complexities of community engagement with a more thoughtful, inclusive, and practical approach.”
- SDOT Program Manager
Seattle Public Utilities
In partnership with the Community Liaisons Program.
Project: Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) updates their Strategic Business Plan regularly to focus their work and better meet the needs of customers and community.
Issue: Create meaningful engagement with the community on the topic of a business plan update.
Solution: Co-design materials with Community Liaisons to meet community at their understanding of SPU with emphasis on BIPOC, immigrant, refugee, and low-income communities.
Impact: SPU cultivated trusting relationships with Community Liaisons, resulting in engagement with 1,555 customers and 85% of events being held in Equity Areas.