Speaker 1: The appointment of Brian Carter is for culture executive director, and.
Speaker 0: Brian is here. Come forward, Mr. Carter. We talked about the I mentioned on the last item. The legislation that the county council considered and passed earlier this year. One of the pieces of that was that the council would confirm the executive director of for culture. Upon the recommendation of the board and the county executive. And Mr. Carter is the nominee. I think a number of us, if not all of us, have had the opportunity and privilege to get to meet with you, Mr. Carter, and understand and hear about your impressive background, experience and vision for the Cultural Development Authority. We are excited that you're here today and willing to take on this role at this critical time for our culture. And when we welcome you and give you the opportunity to make some opening remarks, and then maybe we'll have some questions and see what we can do.
Speaker 3: Sure. I'll just say thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.
Speaker 0: And pull that microphone right up to you.
Speaker 3: There we go. I would say that I just welcome the opportunity to talk with you and thank you all for making time over the past three weeks to set up those individual meetings. It was nice to be able to chat a little bit more informally and hear about what some of your concerns are and also opportunities for our partnership to strengthen as we move forward. So I'll just say I'm very, very fortunate that the search committee and the board selected me to be the next executive director for culture. The legacy of that organization over the past decades and decades here in King County has been really tremendous. And as somebody who's worked in arts and culture and heritage and preservation for years and years now, it's really such an honor to take the helm of this prestigious agency. And I look forward to doing good work. And I'll just look forward to doing that work in concert and in collaboration with you. And as we discussed individually, I think lines of communication being open when there are questions that we're there to answer them and that we work collaboratively to ensure the cultural health of the entire county is as high and as a stable as it can possibly be. So I look forward to that work with you and also with the folks sitting in the audience and the larger cultural community here in King County. I think it's exciting times and I look forward to being in the mix of those exciting times. So thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you very much. Councilmember Gossett, would you like to lead this off?
Speaker 2: Yes, I think it would be helpful for the audience here and our broader listening audience on TV, sir, to hear something about what work you've been doing for our culture and some of your previous experience. I think it would be unlikely, I'm sure. As with that.
Speaker 3: I've been working in culture within museums for the past 15 years before I came to Fort Culture. So I had the fortune of being one of the founding staff members at the Northwest African-American Museum, where I served as deputy director and head curator for about nine years. After that, I had the fortune to be on.
Speaker 2: What years were those pieces?
Speaker 3: God, when I.
Speaker 2: Start the.
Speaker 3: 2003 2004 to 2012. So it was it was an honor. That was something that I know the region needed and was very proud to be part of its creation and to see it flourish today and receive funding. That's a it's a good day for me for that reason. After that, I moved to Portland, where I was the museum director of the Oregon Historical Society, which is the de facto State History Museum in Oregon. After that, I moved back to Seattle, where I worked at the Burke Museum as a director of interpretation, and then I moved to Fort Culture, where I've served in the for the past almost three years as Heritage Lead. So overseeing the Heritage Program, grant funding, professional development, technical assistance to the field and just trying to be of service to a lot of different heritage organizations, history, museums, independent historians around the county.
Speaker 2: Or not nationally.
Speaker 3: Nationally, I serve as the board president of the Association of African American Museums. I also serve on the American Alliance of Museums Diversity Inclusion, Accessibility Task Force. And I'm the father of two sons. And I think that's probably the most important job I have. Thank you, sir. Mm hmm.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Councilmember McDermott and then Councilmember Bell. DG. Oh, I'm sorry. And Councilmember Cole. Wells on this.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, Mr. Card. Afternoon. I'm interested in coming from within the organization itself. What you think some of the strongest assets for foreign culture are going forward? I think. Me, definitely. Oh.
Speaker 4: Oh, I bet these jobs do take confidence. Thank you much. Thank you. Okay. No further questions.
Speaker 3: No further questions. I think that the team that I get the chance to work with and have over the past three years is the greatest asset of the organization. I think it's everybody knows it's been a real moment of transition for for culture. As the previous executive director, long tenured executive director has stepped down and retired, there has been significant changes in senior leadership over the past three years, but consistent in all of that is the staff. I think it's a staff with experience in every facet and discipline of arts, culture, public art, preservation, heritage that you could ask for . It's people who know what they're doing. It's people who have been in the trenches and people who make a firm commitment to for culture. I've never worked anywhere where people just stick in the way that they do because the work is so rewarding. The environment, I think, is so positive, and I think it's a testament to those that came before me. And if I could, just for the public record, I'd love to just say a thank you to Deb Swirsky, who has served as the number two.
Speaker 5: And deputy director. Nick.
Speaker 3: There have been a few bumps and hurdles in the recent past, and the staff really look to her as a guiding force and as a solid team mate who was always there for us and for the organization. So I look forward to my continued role collaborating with her and just a thank you from me personally and I think from the board at Port Colter and from the staff of Port Culture. So thank you for that. Companies are increasingly.
Speaker 0: Concerned about duty and then cold wallets.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to say a few words about the process, and I'm sure Councilmember Caldwell's and Councilmember Gossett can as well. There is a very thoughtful, thorough process followed by the Ford Culture Board and the hiring committee. The staff was involved. There was some thinking and rethinking around inclusiveness and diversity in the mission of the organization and how this hire needed to really reflect that. The hiring process needed to really reflect that. The three of us who were council liaisons to the board were invited and included in the the same process as the executive committee. We all had some nice lunches together, meeting with all the candidates. The pool of candidates was solid and we had three outstanding finalists. And I thought that the the results are very, very encouraging. My own personal opinion that Brian is going to be an outstanding executive director for for culture, which is only had one, I mean , is a real inflection point for an organization to go from your founding and very, very influential and in sort of personally charismatic executive director to number two. Right. That's a tough space to step into, but it's also an opportunity. And I think that Brian is absolutely the right person to lead the organization into that next space of opportunity and what our culture will become in the next 25 years. So I just really want to encourage our support of his confirmation and point out that he's a district District six resident, which in no way biases me in his favor. I think we're very, very lucky to have him.
Speaker 0: Very good. Thank you. His work elsewhere go well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Speaker 1: What Councilmember Bell did. She just said this about what I was going to say. It's been it was it was an incredible process. Not only was there a selection committee and the board, but there was also the executive committee of the board. And it was very systematic, thoughtful, thorough, with a great deal of opportunity for board members to become engaged in what was going on within the process. We had three really excellent finalists. We interviewed them all. They each spent, I believe, a full day with group interviews. Not an easy thing to go through. They all were outstanding. But I have to say, Brian really shone through. And not only has he had tremendous experiences in terms of arts, culture, and I think in your case, Brian, it's heritage, primarily historical preservation heritage, but also the personality that I think will be very appreciated by everybody at Ford Culture who mostly all know him anyway, but also by our council and arts and culture organizations throughout the county. Brian actually came across to me is exceptionally thoughtful, well-spoken, had an eye dia every moment during the interview. I was just captivated by all the ideas he had and I'm very confident that he's going to bring those ideas to action. So I very much commend Brian Carter as executive director.
Speaker 3: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also wanted to create to congratulate Brian. I think this is an exciting time for the organization, an exciting time for the county. I really appreciate the time that you and the Board for Culture took during the process when there were three finalists to make yourself available to give council members a chance to get to know you, and then the follow up conversations once you had been selected by me, by the board. I think those conversations are a great start of what will be an ongoing dialog. You're jumping into a tough job, but it's, I think, an exciting one. I think the future in this county is very bright for arts and heritage, and I know my friends in the museum communities are excited to see a heritage a heritage guide, although I know you're equally committed to all all aspects of arts, arts and culture, but that that background that you bring is going to be a particular asset to that element of our cultural preservation. And I just can't say how excited I am and, you know, certainly have my full confidence and look forward to working with you. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Councilmember Lambert.
Speaker 1: Thank you. I might just say did all the above, but I wanted to thank you for taking the time for our conversations. And the impressive many things that we talked about were very impressive to me. But your vast experience and balancing heritage is being a really important thing in this county. And the idea that there will be renewed conversations between you and our culture and the council because they all care about making their beauty and art and heritage all across this county. So I'm excited about that and I look forward to working with you also.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 0: Okay.
Speaker 1: So let me say before you both question.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 0: Councilmember Cole Wells, you are a co-sponsor of this item and I'm vice chair and very interested in these issues as you would you like to put the item? I think you might want to put it before I.
Speaker 1: Say to you.
Speaker 0: And I never seen anybody move faster. One councilman, whether you wanted to hold on the minutes one time.
Speaker 4: So that way that I moved.
Speaker 1: I proposed motion 2018 0333 to confirm Brian Carter as executive director of the King County Cultural Development Authority.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Councilmember Coe Wells I want to let you know, Brian, that it's not very often that legislation comes before us with seven co-sponsors from among the council's members. And that's where your nomination stands today. And that is a sign of a broad support. And so congratulations on that. I think we've had all the comments on this. I looking forward to working with you as well, and particularly on the issues we talked about with respect to small organization support ethnic and racial and cultural diversity, investment, which for culture has really been doing significant work in in the last well throughout its time. But importantly and increasingly in the recent times and also on the geographic balance and investment in developing culture, using the cultural development authority to develop culture in areas where there are cultural and historic deficits, if you will, or desert. So I'm based on our conversation and comfortable and confident that you understand those issues, have a passion for addressing them. And I'm looking forward to seeing that work continue. So thank you for your willingness to serve.
Speaker 1: Mark. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Councilmember Ritchie. Councilmember Dunn. Councilmember Gossett. Councilmember Colwell. Councilmember Lambert, I. Councilmember McDermott. Oh. Council member of the Grove.
Speaker 0: We can all hope, Joe. We.
Speaker 1: Mr. Chair. Hi, Mr. Chair. The vote is Ada is no knows when excuse.
Speaker 0: All right. We've given a unanimous do pass recommendation to the confirmation. Let's accelerate that on Monday. And what do members think in this beyond consent? I think we've all done it. Someone wants to pull it off. The cannot put on consent. And so there's no need to return on Monday. But you're welcome to. Thank you for being here very much. And congratulations.
Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Okay. We are making good progress here. We have a consent agenda. And I wonder if, Councilman Lambert, would you.
Speaker 1: Agree.
Speaker 0: With that? Okay. Councilman recalls if we go ahead. Sorry.
Speaker 1: I was sitting in the.
Speaker 4: Chairs like, oh, yeah, I'm.
Speaker 0: Thrown off because usually customer calls is next to me, my vice chair.
Speaker 4: So here I am, like.
Speaker 0: All right, I'll let you.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move our consent to the proposed motion number 2018 0300. Proposed motion number 20 20278. Proposed motion number 2018 0279. In proposed motion 2018 0322. Do not read their titles.
Speaker 0: No one is a clinical call to rule on those four items.
Speaker 1: Council member Baldacci Council Member Dunne. Council Member Gaza City Council Member. Commonwealth Council Member Lambert High Council Member McDermott.
Speaker 3: High.
Speaker 1: Council Member of the Grand.
Speaker 3: High.
Speaker 1: Council member. Yvonne, right there. All right, Mr. Chair. Hi, Mr. Chair. 37 days, no no's to excuse.
Speaker 0: All right. We'll move that on to Monday's consent agenda with the new best recommendation. Councilman Coles, would you move our minutes?
Speaker 4: Thank you.
Speaker 1: The chair. And you're the. Excuse me. I'm of approval of the minutes of July 18th, 2018.
A MOTION confirming the executive's appointment of Brian Carter as the executive director of 4Culture.