Mary Jean Ryan, Chair
Seattle, Governor Appointed, through January 2010

Mary Jean Ryan is the Director of the City of Seattle’s Office of Policy and Management.
Her office leads many of the City’s high-profile policy development and project management efforts such as the Mayor’s Children and Youth Strategy, Northgate revitalization, South Lake Union, University of Washington partnership, etc. Prior to that, she was Seattle’s Economic Development Director.  Mayor Norm Rice hired Mary Jean to create Seattle’s Economic Development Office in 1992. Mary Jean has a deep interest in education and work force development. She currently serves on the Board of the Seattle Jobs Initiative and on the Seattle School District’s Community Advisory Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence.

Mary Jean served in Washington, D.C., in the Clinton Administration as the Associate Deputy Administrator for Economic Develop­ment for the U.S. Small Business Administration. Early in her career she was the Director of the Ever­green Community Development Association (1986-1992).  She is a 1988 graduate of the Seat­tle Chamber/United Way Leadership Tomor­row Program. 

Mary Jean has a B.A. from George­town University and a M.P.A. from the University of Southern California.  She is a member of the Georgetown University Athletic Hall of Fame. She has a daughter who attends Roosevelt High School.