Meet Dionne
Dionne has spent the last 15 years working towards improved access and outcomes for all people, but especially the most vulnerable. Her dedication to working hard for what is right was cemented at an early age through experiencing economic challenges and seeking out opportunity. Dionne was raised by a single mother who served in the Army and later worked as a teacher, but despite her family’s hard work they struggled to make ends meet. To help support her family, she worked two jobs in high school starting off as a fast-food worker and hostess. In those jobs she worked with people who were supporting their families on just above minimum wage, shaping her perspective on economic justice and strong labor standards.
Dionne put herself through college with grants, loans and working part-time jobs. She was honored to earn the Spirit of King Award as an undergraduate for her commitment to civil rights and justice and the Dennis-Weathers award for dedication to increasing cross-cultural awareness. While working as a waitress after graduation, Dionne welcomed her son and was able to do so with the support of affordable healthcare through Apple Health. She then went on to earn her Masters in Social Work from the University of Washington, where she returned to train students as an adjunct faculty member. Later, the Seattle Downpayment Assistance Program made homeownership possible for Dionne and her family, providing the foundation for housing stability and generational wealth.
Because of the opportunities she was given, Dionne has been able to commit her career to the service of improving people’s lives through work in nonprofits, government and philanthropy.
She lives in South Seattle with her son and their COVID rescue dog. She’s a lifetime WNBA fan (Go Storm!) and loves to be outside, rain, snow or shine. Dionne is a proud gardener and donates some of her yield every year to our local food banks.
Leadership We Can Trust
Dionne has built a career focused on improving people’s lives through collaboration and innovation with a focus on results and equity.
Workforce Development to breakdown silos and barriers
As a graduate employee at the University of Washington in the School of Social Work, Dionne worked with students and faculty to support an initiative to cross train social work students, medical students, nurses, behavioral health workers, and others – so students are better prepared to succeed and effect change in the real world. She later returned to UW to train social workers as an adjunct Social Work faculty member.
Increasing school & childcare investments with progressive revenue
Serving as the Executive Director at the WA Progress Alliance, Dionne works to empower community organizations and local leaders who are leading the charge to ensure our communities are more equitable, liveable, and safe for everyone. She helped pass and protect historic investments in childcare, early education and school construction through her leadership on a statewide capital gains tax that invests millions into childcare and better schools in Seattle.
Improving access to City Services
As a Senior Policy Advisor at the City of Seattle, she worked to improve public safety, create more opportunities for Seattle youth, and meet our climate goals. Managing stakeholder engagement for citywide initiatives, Dionne sought to ensure voices from across the city were heard and built strong relationships with leaders from both the nonprofit and private sector. On issues like expanding youth employment and mentorship, improving open space planning, and increasing safety, she analyzed many of the key challenges impacting our communities and developed policies for the city to tackle them head on.
Improving outcomes for all
At the Seattle Foundation, Dionne managed public-private partnerships to improve outcomes in Seattle by focusing on places, policies, and systems changes in our city. She invested in organizations that are creating new housing strategies to stop displacement and promote economic vitality, driving community led services to address homelessness, and investing in multi-generational Central District residents to unlock creative strategies so they can thrive where they live.
As an Analyst with King County, Dionne also had the honor of co-authoring the County Equity Report to shed light on the ways health, social, racial, and economic outcomes are determined and how we can best measure progress towards a King County where everyone can succeed.
Protecting our climate
Working for the non-profits Got Green and Sage, Dionne fought for urgent action at the local level to address climate change, advance climate justice, and preserve our Parks and open spaces in Seattle. Later as a Policy Advisor for the City of Seattle, she supported the city’s transportation electrification and infrastructure development towards clean energy. Dionne currently serves on the board of Climate Solutions c4 entity, where she helps ensure we can elect climate champions to represent all of us.
Standing up for our shared values
Dionne served on the Board of Directors for Pro-Choice Washington, to ensure comprehensive reproductive rights and equitable access to abortion care. Through her work in government and philanthropy she has helped invest millions of dollars in progressive causes including worker safety, arts and cultural development, housing & homelessness, and racial equity.
Across every role, Dionne has fought for systemic changes that promote equity, expand opportunity, and improve outcomes for all. Now, she wants to bring this experience and approach to the Seattle City Council—moving beyond divisive politics to focus on the real priorities of our neighbors.