Civil Service Commissioners & Staff

Commissioner Ellis H. Casson (Council Appointee)

Commissioner Casson was reappointed to the commission by the City Council in December 2003. He recently retired from 48 years of active ministry in the A.M.E. Church throughout the west, and was pastor at 12 churches, including his last church assignment at First A.M.E. in Seattle, followed by 3 years as Presiding Elder of the five states of the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference. Throughout his career in the ministry, Dr. Casson maintained his ties as a leader in the ecumenical movement and in the struggle for human rights. Commissioner Casson has degrees from Seattle Pacific University and the Evangelical Seminary; a certificate from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations; and two honorary doctorates. He is an ordained African Methodist Minister. Commissioner Casson was the first African American appointed to serve on the State Board of Education, among numerous other appointments.

Commissioner Steven A. Jewell (Employee Elected)

Steven A. Jewell is the employee elected member of the Civil Service Commission. Mr. Jewell currently works for the City as a Labor Negotiator. Mr. Jewell has spent 26 years in Labor Relations and served 22 years as an International Representative for a large construction Union working across the United States . During his career with the Union he has negotiated hundreds of Labor Agreements and holds an outstanding success record in Arbitrations. Mr. Jewell has founded several State wide Industrial councils in the Midwest . He has taught Collective Bargaining for Ohio State University , and served as a safety instructor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for the Federal Government. He currently is a certified trainer for the Department of Homeland Security. He has served for 10 plus years on Boards of Directors for several Labor/Management consortiums. He has also owned several businesses of his own. He has a degree in Labor Law and loves to hunt, fish, play golf, and restore old cars. He has a wife and four children.

Commissioner Gregg H. Hirakawa  (Mayoral Appointee) 

Gregg Hirakawa is an attorney and Deputy Executive Director for the Washington State Bar Association. He previously worked as a King County deputy prosecuting attorney, and as a civil litigator in private practice. Mr. Hirakawa has also served as a legislative aide to King County Councilmember Larry Phillips, and the Washington State House of Representatives. He began his professional career as a journalist working for various local and national news organizations, including The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, where he was a regional bureau chief.

Glenda Graham-Walton - Executive Director

Ms. Graham-Walton has over eighteen years of City service. Prior to coming to the Commission, she was the Sr. Trainer for the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. She is an experienced manager and educator. Ms. Graham-Walton has worked with most City departments in her previous positions and as a private consultant. She holds an Undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and a Masters degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development, from Seattle Pacific University. Ms. Graham-Walton has two children, a son and daughter, and volunteers as a soccer coach and committee member for the Domestic Abuse Women's Network (DAWN).

Teresa Jacobs- Administrative Staff Assistant

Teresa was promoted in December 2003 to the position of Administrative Staff Assistant. Teresa has been with the City of Seattle since 2001. Prior to her promotion she worked for the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. Teresa was born and raised in Seattle. She has one son. She is competitive in Power Lifting and currently holds World, National, and Washington State Records in the Dead Lift and Bench Press.

General Information: CSC@seattle.gov