Meet the Board

The Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners is a 15-member community advisory board, serving three-year terms. The composition of the Board is:

  • Eight members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council; including four at-large members, three members from other City Boards/Commissions, and one member from the Get Engaged Program
  • Seven members representing each of the Seattle City Council districts appointed by the City Council

The Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners is actively recruiting for members to fill vacant seats. If you would like to fill out an application, this link will direct you to the City of Seattle Boards and Commissions page: https://www.seattle.gov/boards-and-commissions


Marlon Herrera

District 3
Appointed by: City Council
Term: 4/1/2021 - 3/31/2024

Bio + -

Marlon is a second-generation Filipino and a lifelong resident of the Coast Salish lands.  He was born in Northgate and currently rents in First Hill.

He is a Construction Manager at Sound Transit, with experience delivering complex infrastructure projects at multiple local agencies.  Marlon attended the University of Washington, where he earned his Master of Public Administration and Master of Urban Planning.  Marlon went to Seattle University for his Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies.  He is also a member of the Woodland Park Zoo Board of Directors and a community organizer in the Chinatown-International District.

Marlon is passionate about shaping just, sustainable, and vibrant communities for generations to come. You can find Marlon running through parks, backpacking in the woods, or reading a book in a coffeeshop.

picture of smiling man with trees in the background

Justin Umagat

City Council District 1
Commissioner
Appointed by: City Council
Term: 4/1/2021 - 3/31/2024

Bio + -

Representing District 1, Justin was born and raised in West Seattle. He graduated from Seattle University with a Mechanical Engineering degree and has found that over the years he has developed a deep passion for serving the community.
In his professional career, Justin is known for delivering public works and mega transit projects. He currently works at King County Metro as a Capital Project Manager managing bus projects that aim to get more people to more places in an equitable and sustainable fashion. 

In the community, Justin is a long time contributor to Seattle Parks and Recreation system. He participated in recreation programs throughout his own youth and eventually began coaching through his local community center in his college years. Justin spent over 15 years coaching the city's youth ranging from 6 - 18 years old before making his way into Board work.

Combining his experience in recreation programming with his professional experience navigating complex public facing projects, he is excited to bring his experience skillset to serve on the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners. Accustomed to Board duties and having chaired many, he is a versed public servant and is passionate about making a difference.

Andrea Stuart-Lehalle

District 2
Appointed by: Council
Term: 4/1/2022 - 3/31/2025

Joshua Seyfried

At-Large
Appointed by: Mayor
Term: 4/1/22 - 3/31/25

Bio + -

Joshua comes to Seattle from a decade on the East Coast. Having previously called Philadelphia and New York City home, he and his family now reside in Ballard. Born and raised in Michigan, Joshua is a graduate of Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania. A landscape architect by trade, Joshua has developed a reputation for delivering large, complex, and transformative public realm projects in both the US and abroad. When he is not at the office or volunteering with the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, you can find Joshua cycling through the Cascades foothills, rolling along the Burke-Gilman Trail, or taking in the breathtaking views from Golden Gardens Park.

Woman smiling with mountains and trees behind her

Amy Brockhaus

City Council District 6
Commissioner
Appointed by: City Council
Term: 4/1/2022 - 3/31/2025

Bio + -

Amy lives in the Greenwood / Phinney Ridge neighborhood, and on any given day might be found at Green Lake, Alice Ball, Carkeek, or another one of the many beautiful parks across Seattle. 

Amy is Deputy Director at the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, where she works to convene a broad coalition of stakeholders to pursue land conservation, regional trail connections, historic preservation, environmental education, ecological restoration, and volunteer stewardship across the newly-designated Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area. Having learned under the wing of the Greenway Trust’s founder, legendary Seattle civic leader Jim Ellis, Amy sees relationships and collaboration as the keys to caring for public treasures like parks.

With 25 years at the Greenway Trust, Amy develops collaborative partnerships between land management agencies, businesses, and conservation groups who come together to ensure that lands in the Greenway remain ecologically healthy and resilient and the region’s diverse communities benefit from nearby access to nature. 

While her role requires her to spend a lot of time in conference rooms and city halls, Amy is happiest outside, up a mountain, on a trail, or playing in a park. She and her family enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and Amy is always looking for her next chance to grab a backpack and explore. 

Jessica Farmer

At-large
Commissioner
Appointed by: Mayor
Term: 4/1/2021 - 3/31/2024

Bio + -

For me, time spent outdoors is an opportunity to observe and engage with the larger world – the light, weather, noises, textures, plants and animals stimulate my senses, my curiosity, and my ability to cope with stress. I think the opportunity to have this experience is important to quality of life and needs to be prioritized in a dense urban environment. I am personally and professionally interested in public green spaces and the benefits they provide, both in terms of human health and well-being as well as ecosystem services. These interests have led me to a career that has included experiences in horticulture, arboriculture, education, and administration - largely within public gardens. I pursued a master’s degree in public administration at UW because I also have an interest in how public green spaces are managed, programmed, supported and preserved.

In graduate school, I had an internship with the City of Seattle focusing on public-private partnership policy in the Parks department. When my assessment and recommendations were complete, I presented them to the Parks Board of Commissioners, among others. I remember being struck by this dynamic and accomplished group of volunteers serving the department in an advisory role, and I thought that was a role I would like to fill at some point in the future. I am thrilled to now have that opportunity. In my time on the Board, I hope to share a perspective that supports park planning for varied and balanced uses, advocate for sound horticultural and urban forestry practices, and help improve service equity throughout the Parks system so that all Seattle residents can benefit from programs and services, but also from unstructured and restorative experiences in our parks.

Man smiling at camera with trees and hills behind him

Pasqual Contreras

At-large
Commissioner
Appointed by: Mayor
Term: 4/1/2023 - 3/31/2026

Bio + -

Originally from Central California, Pasqual has lived in Seattle since 2017, and in 2021, moved with his dog, Hank Williams Sr. to the Central District.

He currently is a Construction Project Manager at the University of Washington, with a focus in post occupancy projects in healthcare. He completed his undergraduate work at Portland State University, and received a master's degree in Urban Development and Design at University of New South Wales, Sydney. 

When he isn’t working or volunteering, he is working on building a set of townhouses with his business partner on his property. He spends his free time outdoors, or traveling with friends and family.   

Stafford Mays

City Council District 7
Commissioner
Appointed by: City Council
Term: 4/1/2022 - 3/31/2025

Bio + -

Stafford worked at Microsoft for 20+ years. His responsibilities included managing PR efforts for Microsoft's Global Diversity & Inclusion Team. He was also responsible for External PR & Media and Online Print. In addition, he focused on External Relationships with Civil Rights and Human Service Organizations, as well as K-12 and Minority Colleges & Universities. Mays worked to create and implement programs that provided equal access to technology to underserved communities. These efforts delivered Microsoft technology infrastructure, teacher preparedness, training and access for minority students. 

Prior to joining Microsoft, Mays earned a scholarship and played football for the University of Washington.  Stafford was drafted as a defensive lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals/Minnesota Vikings (1980-89).
Stafford served on local boards of several non-profits and speaks to various K-12 schools about academics and technology. He is currently on the boards of Odea High School and Upower.org.

Phillip Meng

Get Engaged
Commissioner
Appointed by: Mayor
Term: 9/1/2022 - 8/31/2023