City hires Community Development director and chief of external affairs

City Manager Brad Miyake announced Wednesday the hiring of Michael Kattermann as Bellevue’s director of Community Development and Genesee Adkins as chief of external affairs, a recently created position in the City Manager’s Office. 

“We are very fortunate to have Michael Kattermann and Genesee Adkins joining the Bellevue leadership team, especially during this time of unprecedented growth and change in the community,” said City Manager Miyake. “Michael is a proven leader who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the planning and community development arena. Likewise, Genesee has strong record of accomplishment in building coalitions throughout the region and state, and getting results.” 

“The Bellevue community will be well-served by the strong team we’re building. I’m excited about the future of the organization and the opportunities ahead,” added Miyake. 

Prior to joining the city, Adkins led strategic growth and infrastructure initiatives in Washington for two engineering services firms. She also has extensive experience in public-sector external affairs, serving as chief of staff for the Seattle Transportation Department, director of state relations for the University of Washington, director of government relations for King County, and state legislative director for the City of Seattle. Adkins is a graduate of the University of Rochester with an undergraduate degree in economics and political science.

Kattermann has 40 years of experience in the planning profession, over 30 of those in the Puget Sound region. He has been Community Development director for the City of Bothell for the past four years and has held leadership positions in public agencies, private consulting firms and nonprofit organizations. From 2007 to 2018, Kattermann was a senior planner at the City of Bellevue, working on high-profile projects including East Link policies, an East Main station area plan and a citywide affordable housing strategy.  

The Community Development Department is comprised of 38 full-time staff and three divisions; the Planning, Cultural and Economic Development, and Neighborhood Services, and supports both the Planning and Arts commissions. The chief of external affairs is a new role, reporting directly to the city manager. Its focus will be on better aligning Bellevue’s key initiatives through coordinated government affairs and communications support. 

Both Kattermann and Adkins will start their positions on Monday, April 25.