Tasha joined the City Manager’s Office after completing a master’s of public administration at the Evergreen State College. Tasha is a Tacoma native who graduated from Lincoln High School and received her bachelor’s degree from the Tacoma branch of the Evergreen State College. Before joining the City as a Management Fellow, Tasha served in several capacities at a local nonprofit for a total of eight years. Her background includes supporting community members in economic development opportunities and connecting them to higher education opportunities. She also served as an Outreach Coordinator, building bridges between non-profit bodies of work and fundraising. Tasha also served as a member of the City’s Hilltop Engagement Committee. As a Fellow, Tasha supported the City Manager’s Office by staffing City Council study sessions and council meetings, supporting the West End & New Tacoma Neighborhood Councils, and participating in specialized department projects to aid in the development of policy and streamline processes. After completion of her fellowship, Tasha was hired by the City to serve as Executive Assistant/Policy Analyst at Tacoma Public Libraries where she will work to analyze current and draft new policies, as well as support the Library Director.
2017-2019
William Suarez
William Suarez graduated from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College with a master's in public policy and management. Previous to starting his fellowship with the City of Tacoma, William worked as a Business Development Coordinator for the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber in Portland. During his time with the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, he managed three contracts while assisting people in Southwest Washington open or grow their small businesses. As a Fellow, William worked with the Community & Economic Development Department to develop tools that will facilitate the launching and growing of a business in Tacoma, on improving the City Council orientation, and on clarifying the role of agencies within Tacoma for citizens. After completing his Fellowship William was hired as a management analyst for Community & Economic Development and will be doing outreach for Tacoma's small businesses in the south and east ends.
2017-2018
Christopher Bell
Christopher Bell received his master’s in public administration from The University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a concentration in non-profit management and a bachelor’s degree in public management from Millsaps College. As a Continuous Improvement Management Fellow, Chris supported the Office of Management and Budget-Continuous Improvement Program by providing technical assistance and management support Citywide in collaboration with other City staff to prioritize problems, analyze processes and develop solutions. Chris also provided technical support to the Livable City Year program, prepared the T-Town City Services Expo and assisted in the planning of Transforming Local Government Conference. In addition, he provided technical support to the City Council, neighborhood council, committees, and strategic initiatives in the City Manager’s Office. He then went on to serve as a Social Wellness Systems Analyst in the Neighborhood and Community Services Department.
2016-2018
David Nash-Mendez
David Nash-Mendez received his master's in public administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington through their Peace Corps Masters International program, combining his studies with practical application as a Peace Corps Community Development Volunteer in the Republic of Macedonia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Following a six month rotation in the City Manager’s Office, David worked on community outreach and engagement of immigrant and refugee communities in the Office of Equity and Human Rights, partnered with the Information Technology Department on the City's Digital Equity Initiative. After his Fellowship David transitioned to the Office of Management and Budget where he led budget outreach and supported the budgets of the City Manager's Office and City Council.
2015-2017
India Adams
India Adams received her master's degree in public administration with a graduate certificate in local government management from Virginia Tech's Center for Public Administration and Policy and a bachelor's degree in public administration from George Mason University's School of Policy, Government and International Affairs. While in her rotation in the City Manager’s Office, India led a number of community partnership and engagement efforts, including successfully creating Tacoma’s Student Government Day program in collaboration with Tacoma Public Schools and the T-Town City Services Expo. After her Fellowship she joined the Community and Economic Development Department where she supported the launch of the "Make it Tacoma" website, and a study of downtown retail amenities. She currently (2019) serves as the Assistant City Manager at the City of Delray Beach, Florida.
2014-2016
Genesis Gavino
Genesis received her Masters in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington with a focus in organizational management. During her Fellowship, Genesis focused on health and
human services by providing staff support and policy research and analysis specific to homelessness and housing stability. Following her Fellowship, she took an analyst position with the City of Tacoma and worked on acquisition and development of facility for youth and young adult drop-in center, development and implementation of faith-based partnership to increase sheltering capacity for families experiencing homelessness, and conducted management studies and analysis or current and proposed operations to evaluate effectiveness of programs and activities. She now serves as the Assistant to the City Manager in Dallas, Texas.
2013-2015
Christina (Watts) Curran
Before becoming a Management Fellow, Christina served as a 2010 Teach For America corps member in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she taught preschool to low-income students. She earned her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas. During her Fellowship, she supported implementation of the City’s Tacoma FIRST 311 online Customer Support Center, oversaw planning for the City’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, and staffed the Steering and Development Committee for Tacoma’s strategic plan, Tacoma 2025. After serving as a Management Fellow in the City Manager’s Office, she joined the City’s Office of Management and Budget, later becoming a lead analyst. In that role, she has supported multiple City Departments with biennial budget development including Public Works and Environmental Services, and she revamped and now oversees the City’s Capital Budget.
2012-2014
Reid Bennion
Reid received his Masters in Public Administration from the
Evans School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Washington with a focus on urban and regional affairs. After the Fellowship Reid remained with the City. Reid currently works as a management analyst in the Public Works department on the Streets Initiative program.
2011-2013
Katie (Hampton) Johnston
Katie received her Masters in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington with a focus in environmental policy. As a Fellow, Katie facilitated and led cross-departmental teams to analyze and propose recommendations regarding budgeting, speeding, habitat and recreation land management, and unimproved rights of way policies. She went on to be the lead Management and Budget Analyst after her Fellowship where she led the City’s Continuous Improvement Initiative and performance management system implementation. Today Katie serves as the Budget Officer for the City.
2009-2011
Shane Pettit
Shane Pettit received his master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Texas and a bachelor’s degree in history from Texas Tech University. After serving as a Management Fellow in the City Manager’s Office, he was a management analyst and later an operations support manager for the Environmental Services Department. While in these roles, Shane developed and managed a $145 million biennial budget for the solid waste utility and co-led the development of the department’s 2018-2025 strategic plan. Currently (2019) he is the Assistant Division Manager for Onsite Operations at the Tacoma Recovery & Transfer Center where he supports and leads a team of 50 employees focused on customer service, teamwork, equity, and efficiency as they operate and maintain facilities to support healthy neighborhoods and a thriving Puget Sound.
2007-2009
Allyson Griffith
Allyson received her Masters in Public Administration from the University of Oregon. One of the earliest Fellows in the Tacoma Management Fellowship program, Allyson helped to develop the duties of the position and supported the City Manager’s Office in many capacities. She went on to work as a program development specialist in the Neighborhood and Community Services Department, and today is the Manager for the Neighborhood Enhancement Team here at the City.
2006-2008
Christian Clegg
Christian earned his master's degree in public administration from the University of Kansas. Among the first Fellows in the program before it became what it is today, Christian set the tone for Fellows going forward. His projects including implementation of Customer Relationship Management Software, lead for cross-departmental team addressing urban blight and facilitating development of a rental housing inspection program. He was with Tacoma for five years before moving to California where he went on to serve as the Deputy City Manager for the City of Stockton.