Meet the Director episodes

Gael D. Tarleton was recently sworn in as the director of Seattle's Office of Intergovernmental Relations, the department that represents the interests of the City of Seattle, building relationships across all levels of government - local, regional, tribal, state, federal, and international. “It's the way the city talks to its partners all over the country and the world,” says Tarleton.

Tarleton has an impressive resume. Mayor Bruce Harrell calls Tarleton a “superstar in the work that she does.” Before coming to Seattle, she worked in Washington D.C. as an intelligence analyst. She worked in tech and higher education before turning to public service in 2007, becoming a port commissioner and serving eight years as a state representative for the 36th District.