What is…

The board

The nine directors who govern the Seattle Convention Center.

Updated November 9, 2026.

What is it?

The governing body of the Washington State Convention Center Public Facilities District, the public agency that runs the Seattle Convention Center. The district's bylaws say it "shall be governed by its nine-member Board of Directors." The district itself is explained on What is the PFD?.

Who appoints the seats?

Three seats are appointed by the Governor. Three are nominated by the King County Executive and confirmed by the King County Council. Three are nominated by the Mayor of Seattle and confirmed by the Seattle City Council. The bylaws require that one of the Governor's appointees and one of the County's represent the lodging industry, and that one of the City's represent organized labor. Terms are four years. A member whose term has expired continues to serve until reappointed or replaced.

A vacancy is filled the same way the seat was first filled. The Governor can remove a director the Governor appointed. A director confirmed by the City or County can be removed by a two-thirds vote of the body that confirmed that director.

Who is on it?

The chart shows the board as of November 7, 2026, by the office that fills each seat. It follows the public record, which is ahead of the center's own roster page: the King County Council confirmed Angela Dunleavy on October 20 and the board recognized her on October 27, but the page at seattlecc.com/governance had not been updated when this was checked.

The board today

Nine seats, three appointers

As of November 9, 2026

The Governor, the King County Executive and the Mayor of Seattle each name three directors. Three seats are open. The terms on all three expired July 30, 2026. Two of those directors keep serving until a successor takes the seat; the third seat no longer has a director.

Governorappoints directly
Open seat
Position 4
Last held by Tom Norwalk, former president and CEO of Visit Seattle, appointed by Governor Inslee in 2023.
Tom Norwalk's term expired July 30, 2026
He is no longer on the board. The Governor's board page lists the seat as vacant.
Rachel Smith
Position 5
President of the Washington Roundtable; led the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce for nearly five years.
Term to July 30, 2028
Craig SchaferVice Chair
Position 6
Owner of the Hotel Andra and Inn at the Market in downtown Seattle.
Term to July 30, 2028
King County Executivenominates; County Council confirms
Frank FinneranChairman
Position 1
Hospitality consultant and former hotel manager; on the board since 1988.
Term expired July 30, 2026
Serves until a successor takes the seat.
Stuart Rolfe
Position 2
Owner and president of Wright Hotels, Inc., a regional hotel management and development company.
Term to July 30, 2028
Angela Dunleavy
Position 3
Founder of Rally, which runs three Seattle event venues; formerly led FareStart.
Term to July 31, 2030
Confirmed October 20, 2026; recognized by the board October 27.
Mayor of Seattlenominates; City Council confirms
Joy Shigaki
Position 7
Former president and CEO of Friends of Waterfront Park.
Term to July 30, 2028
Zahoor Ahmed
Position 8
Chief financial officer and vice president of hotel operations at the Hedreen Company.
Term to July 30, 2030
Confirmed July 14, 2026.
Katie Garrow
Position 9
Executive secretary-treasurer of MLK Labor.
Term expired July 30, 2026
Serves until a successor takes the seat. Has applied for a new term; no City Council action yet.

Hatched seats are open: the term has expired. Two directors keep serving until a successor takes the seat; one seat has no director.

The center's own roster and bios →

Sources: King County board profile, April 23, 2026 (seat positions and terms); King County Council Motion 2026-0266 (Dunleavy, confirmed October 20, 2026); Seattle City Council Appointment 03542 (Ahmed, confirmed July 14, 2026); SCC board agenda, October 27, 2026; Office of the Governor, board profile for the Washington State Convention Center Public Facilities District, read November 9, 2026 (the Governor's three seats; one listed as vacant); SCC governance page (officers); SCC emails with the Office of the Mayor, July 31 to August 17, 2026, released in response to a public-records request (Garrow's application). Bios: SCC governance page, read November 9, 2026; for Dunleavy, Seattle magazine, April 14, 2026. The County's filings name Dunleavy's appointment but not the seat she fills; the Dispatch reports it as Position 3, Deryl Brown-Archie's former seat. The center's own roster page had not been updated when this chart was last checked. Seat numbers follow the King County board profile (1 to 9); the Governor's own page numbers the Governor's three seats 1 to 3.

Three seats are open, and the terms on all three expired July 30, 2026. Frank Finneran (County) and Katie Garrow (City) keep serving until a successor takes the seat. Garrow has applied for a new term, and as of November 7 no appointment for her seat had reached the City Council. The third seat, the Governor's, no longer has a director: Tom Norwalk, whose term expired the same day, is no longer on the board, and the Governor's own board page lists the seat as vacant.

How does it work?

Each director has one vote, and a majority of the whole board is needed to act. Meetings are open to the public under the Open Public Meetings Act, and minutes are posted on the center's website. The notice posted October 27, 2026 sets the next regular meeting for 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, in Room 2A of the Arch at 705 Pike.

The board sets the budget and policy. The President and CEO runs day-to-day operations and reports to the board through the Chair.

Sources: King County, board profile for the Washington State Convention Center Public Facilities District, April 23, 2026 (the nine seat positions and term expiries); King County Council, Motion 2026-0266, passed October 20, 2026 (Angela Dunleavy); Seattle City Council, Appointment 03542, confirmed July 14, 2026 (Zahoor Ahmed); SCC board agenda for October 27, 2026 and its notice of public meeting dated October 27, 2026; SCC, "Governance" page (seattlecc.com/governance), read November 7, 2026 (officers and the roster as the center lists it); SCC emails with the Office of the Mayor, July 31 to August 17, 2026, released in response to a public-records request (Garrow's application); Office of the Governor, board and commission profile for the Washington State Convention Center Public Facilities District, read November 7, 2026 (the Governor's three seats, one vacant); SCC, "Meetings & Minutes" page, read November 6, 2026; King County Ordinance 16883, July 19, 2010, Section 3 (the appointment structure); WSCC PFD Bylaws (Resolution 2024-08), Sections 2.1 to 2.5, 3.4.1, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.9. Every date and figure above can be checked against them.

Ivan Schneider is the founding editor of the Convention City Dispatch.

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Related

The Seattle Convention CenterThe convention center downtown. Its buildings, who runs it, and how it is paid for. The SummitThe Seattle Convention Center's addition on Pine Street, open since January 2023. Arch at 705 PikeThe Seattle Convention Center's original building, and the street address it uses. Arch at 800 PikeThe Seattle Convention Center's business meeting and event venue, across Pike Street from the Arch at 705 Pike. C-STARThe convention center's storefront safety hub at 810 Pike. What it is, what it is for, who runs it, and when you can go. 9th AvenueTwo things go by the name. The street between Pike and Pine, and the 9th Avenue Market, the shops and restaurants of the convention center's Summit. The master planThe Seattle Convention Center's campus master plan, as shown on the slides at the October 27, 2026 board meeting. The PFDThe public agency that owns and runs the Seattle Convention Center. Visit SeattleThe destination marketing organization for Seattle and King County. What it is, how it is paid for, and its contract with the convention center.