CELIA JACKSON
Seattle,WA
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives
King County - Office of the Executive
Seattle, WA
01.2025 - Current
- Appointed to support the Executive's 200 Day Plan, leading cross-departmental coordination on public safety strategy during a period of executive transition.
- Designed and executed countywide community engagement initiative, coordinating outreach to 70+ organizations and facilitating 11 listening sessions to center community voice in public safety policy.
- Synthesized findings from listening sessions and three county summits (Crime Survivors, Transit Safety, Crisis Responder) into strategic recommendations that directly informed 2026-2027 budget priorities and the Executive’s Public Safety Roundtable agenda.
Director of Criminal Legal System Transformation
King County - Office of the Executive
Seattle, WA
01.2022 - 01.2025
- Directed Care & Closure initiative, engaging over 2,000 community members and facilitating a multi-sector advisory board to develop six recommendations for ending youth incarceration.
- Secured $500K federal OJJDP grant to design community care home pilot based on Care & Closure recommendations; currently leading implementation planning.
- Brokered programmatic restructuring of Restorative Community Pathways amid stakeholder conflict, transitioning oversight to county leadership to strengthen accountability and program sustainability.
- Established ongoing youth engagement program at the Children and Family Justice Center, centering lived experience in juvenile justice reform efforts.
Campaign Manager
Best Starts for Kids Campaign Committee
Seattle, WA
01.2021 - 2021
- Managed successful $750 million levy renewal campaign, winning with 62% voter approval.
- Directed countywide voter contact strategy and managed campaign operations, including fundraising efforts totaling $879,000.
- Built coalition of elected officials, labor partners, and community leaders to advance the county’s largest investment in youth and family prevention services.
Director of State Relations
King County - Office of the Executive
Seattle, WA
01.2019 - 01.2022
- Led King County’s state legislative strategy, managing a team of three contract lobbyists and 15+ legislative liaisons across 13 departments to advance the county’s annual agenda in Olympia.
- Championed passage of SB 5290, landmark legislation eliminating youth detention for non-criminal offenses in a state that had led the nation in incarcerating status offenders.
- Co-led development of King County’s first anti-racist policy agenda and budget proposal following the Executive’s declaration of racism as a public health crisis—groundwork that led to the $25 million Gathering Collaborative participatory budgeting initiative.
- Advised the Executive and senior leadership on legislative and policy strategy, translating county priorities into coalition support and legislative wins.
Deputy Director of Government Relations
King County - Office of the Executive
Seattle, WA
01.2018 - 01.2019
- Developed intergovernmental strategy for the Roadmap to Zero Youth Detention, laying groundwork for the county’s juvenile justice transformation initiatives.
- Coordinated legislative strategy across 13 departments, ensuring alignment between government relations efforts and Executive priorities.
- Served as primary liaison to state legislators and local elected officials on time-sensitive county issues.
External Relations Specialist
King County - Office of the Executive
Seattle, WA
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Represented the Executive in community listening sessions with stakeholder groups, coalitions, and constituency groups across King County.
- Briefed the Executive on policy matters important to communities, ensuring community voice informed leadership decisions.
- Coordinated public engagement strategy across Government Relations, Policy, and Communications teams.
King Co. Regional Field Director
Washington State Democrats
Seattle, WA
01.2016 - 2016
- Recruited, trained, and managed 11 Field Organizers across three offices and 15 legislative districts in King County.
- Planned and led six presidential caucus trainings for underrepresented communities to increase voter participation.
- Executed voter contact operation that mobilized 2,500 volunteers to knock 250,000 doors and make 375,000 calls for the 2016 general election.
Education
Bachelor's Degree - Marketing & Visual Communications
The Illinois Institute of Art
Chicago01-2013
Skills
- Strategic Policy Planning
- Government Relations
- Policy Negotiation
- Public Advocacy
- Coalition Building
- Community Engagement
- Project Management
- Legislative Strategy
- Report & Brief Writing
- Program Leadership
- Technical: LobbyGov, NGP Votebuilder, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, Canva
Certification
Advancing Racial Justice and Equity in Youth Legal Systems, Certificate Program, Georgetown University - 2023
RELEVANT ACTIVITIES
Legal System Reform Panelist — Washington State Labor Council & MLK Labor Council New Candidate Trainings - 2019 & 2021
Timeline
Director of Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives
King County - Office of the Executive
01.2025 - Current
Director of Criminal Legal System Transformation
King County - Office of the Executive
01.2022 - 01.2025
Campaign Manager
Best Starts for Kids Campaign Committee
01.2021 - 2021
Director of State Relations
King County - Office of the Executive
01.2019 - 01.2022
Deputy Director of Government Relations
King County - Office of the Executive
01.2018 - 01.2019
External Relations Specialist
King County - Office of the Executive
01.2017 - 01.2018
King Co. Regional Field Director
Washington State Democrats
01.2016 - 2016
Bachelor's Degree - Marketing & Visual Communications
The Illinois Institute of Art