February 8, 2024

Dept. of Natural Resources and Parks

Taylor

King County Executive Dow Constantine appointed John Taylor as the new director for the Department of Natural Resource and Parks, where Taylor will manage one of the largest metropolitan natural resource agencies in the country. Taylor has served as the inaugural director for the King County Department of Local Services since 2018 when Constantine established the agency to better serve the nearly 250,000 residents who live in unincorporated communities. He previously served as a member of the leadership team at the Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Taylor will lead an agency that manages a large portfolio of services and initiatives that protect and restore the region's natural environment, including climate action, land conservation, protecting water quality, restoring habitat, reducing waste, and promoting equitable access to parks and trails. He will lead a workforce of 2,000 employees and manage the largest capital portfolio of any King County government agency. He has 20 years of leadership experience in both the public and private sectors, contributing to Vermont's first Smart Growth legislation, Seattle's Restore Our Waters Initiative, and establishing the Puget Sound Partnership. Taylor previously served as a strategic advisor to the director of Seattle Public Utilities, legislative analyst for the Seattle City Council, and senior policy advisor to the governor of Vermont. Taylor will begin serving as director of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks on Feb. 12. He will replace Christie True, who is retiring after a 39-year career at the agency, including 13 years as department director. Mo McBroom will continue to serve as the department's deputy director. Taylor's appointment is subject to confirmation by the King County Council. The Executive Office will begin recruiting for a new director for the Department of Local Services.