It’s Official: Sworn in to King County Council Today! 

CM Mosqueda taking the oath of office delivered by her husband Manuel Valdes.

CM Mosqueda with her husband and parents

New Year, New Office, New Committee Assignments

I’m excited to hit the ground running in my new capacity, especially in several committees! I am thrilled to chair the Health & Human Services and Regional Transit Committees; vice-chair the Transportation, Economy & Environment Committee; and serve as a member of the Budget & Fiscal Management, Local Services & Land Use, and Employment & Administration Committees as well as the Board of Health. I am particularly pleased to be working on committees that cover county-exclusive subject areas – exactly what drew me to this position!

Read more about my committee assignments here.

Meet My Team

Team Teresa, left to right: Chris Lampkin, Melanie Kray, CM Mosqueda, Kamilah Brown, and Erin House

I can’t serve the district all by myself – I'm incredibly excited for my new staff joining me at the County. Here’s a little bit about the team who will be working with me to make good things happen for District 8 and the County:

Erin House, Chief of Staff:

Erin House is seasoned in the housing, community planning and environmental sectors. She most recently served as Policy Director and Chief of Staff for Councilmember Mosqueda on Seattle City Council, leading on policy initiatives that resulted in a 400% increase in the City’s affordable housing funding during CM Mosqueda’s tenure there. Erin previously served as a Strategic Initiatives Advisor at the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, where she worked on major citywide and long-range initiatives, including Link light rail expansion and community planning projects. Erin served as Coalition and Outreach Manager for Seattle for Everyone, where she worked with a broad coalition to advance the first-ever comprehensive package of affordable housing policies in Seattle, and worked with Futurewise, a statewide growth management and civic planning organization, on projects promoting equitable and environmentally sound housing, transportation, land use, and environmental policies. She has a Masters in Geography and Environmental Studies from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago.

Issue areas:

• Housing & Homelessness
• Transportation
• Energy
• Land use & Environment

Christopher Lampkin, Deputy Chief of Staff:

Chris Lampkin is a proud resident of District 8, who is always excited to help his neighbors learn about the great opportunities the many unions in the district can provide, not just to get a good job but to build an incredible career. Chris most recently served as the Political Director for SEIU Healthcare 1199NW where he worked to empower the 33,000 Registered Nurse Healthcare and Behavioral Health workers of the union to grow their voice and lift standards for the communities. Chris has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. He comes with years of experience working to grow political representation, such as serving as a board member of The Bus, helping young people have the tools to create a more representative democracy and self-determination. When not working, Chris can be found with his young kids exploring the many parks throughout our region.

Issue areas:

• Labor
• Harborview Medical Center
• Local Services
• Community Relations & Communications

Kamilah Brown, Director of Office Operations & Special Projects:

Kamilah Brown brings over 20 years of government, community organizing and public policy experience. A native Seattleite, Kamilah started her public policy journey in the office of King County Councilmember Larry Gossett. Continuing her passion of servant leadership, Kamilah served as Policy Director to Seattle City Councilmember Andrew J. Lewis. At the City of Seattle, Kamilah worked on numerous policy areas related to public safety, health, human services, labor, civil rights and general policy development. Kamilah is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in African American Studies, Public Policy.

Kamilah is dedicated to merging community organizing and activism to impact policy that can elevate the voices of historically marginalized communities at every level government. She believes access for all is important. Kamilah is excited to continue this work and join Councilmember Mosqueda’s team to serve the residents of King County, District 8!

Issue areas:

• Public Health Policy
• Constituent Services
• Scheduling & Special Projects

Melanie Kray, Public Policy Manager:

Melanie Kray comes to District 8 from Councilmember Mosqueda’s City of Seattle team, where she advised on public safety, public health, public assets, education, and infrastructure. Melanie has a passion for dismantling systems of oppression and crafting policy with a bottom-up approach by working directly with historically marginalized communities and workers in the field to get their needs met. Prior to working for Councilmember Mosqueda, after graduating in June 2022, she served as the Rule 9 legal intern for UW Law's Race and Justice Clinic, helping to manage cases in various stages of post-conviction proceedings. She is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, with an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in Social Relations & Policy and Gender Studies. Melanie looks forward to continuing to serve as a member of Councilmember Mosqueda's team and the legislative department.

Issue areas:

• Public Safety
• Homelessness
• Utilities
• Immigration
• Arts & Culture

You can find more about them here: Councilmember Mosqueda’s staff - King County, Washington

Vashon Island Ferry Service

Photo courtesy Washington State Department of Transportation

This week Washington State Ferries announced that they expect frequent cancellations and limited sailings for the next several years due to increased demand for ferry services, crew shortages, and an aging fleet. Due to the challenges facing the system outlined in the Service Contingency Plan released this week, there are two (instead of the pre-COVID three) boats assigned to the Fauntleroy/Southworth/Vashon “Triangle” route. During my visits to Vashon Island and conversations with folks who live on the island over the last year, I know how critical frequent ferry service is to the community, and what an impact this announcement will have on connectivity to and from the island.

The plan indicates that when Washington State Ferries has the crewing and vessel availability to do so, they will add a third, unscheduled boat to the Triangle, for as long as possible.  The Fauntleroy/Southworth/Vashon Triangle is next to be trialed for service restoration when the ferry system has long-term crewing and vessel availability.

In the meantime, I will be looking into enhanced water taxi service to Vashon and adding Metro shuttle service on the island to help offset the impact of reduced ferry service and ensure Vashon Island is well-connected to our region.

Our district has been impacted by the struggles the ferry system has faced. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and figure out solutions to make sure folks can get to and from Vashon, and I’ll be pressing the State to do everything it can to get our ferries back to full capacity. 

Inclement Weather

This week will bring freezing temperatures and the chance of snow. Please check out the resources the County provides to help residents be prepared as we head into this cold spell. Winter weather safety and preparation - King County, Washington. The King County Regional Homelessness Authority has also activated their tier 3 Severe Weather protocols.

Teresa Mosqueda
King County Councilmember, District 8
(206) 477-1008
teresa.mosqueda@kingcounty.gov