SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is reshuffling her senior staff, naming Esther Handy as interim chief of staff and shifting other roles within the mayor’s office as the administration continues to refine its internal structure.

In a statement to her team, Wilson said Handy will step into the interim chief of staff role while former chief of staff Kate Brunette Kreuzer transitions into “a new special projects role within the office” and continues to oversee intergovernmental affairs work. Wilson said she is “deeply grateful to Kate,” calling her “instrumental in creating a strong internal culture” and “a key leader in launching my new administration during a fast-moving transition period.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Seattle mayor’s verbal missteps prompt national and viral attention, leadership questions

Wilson also said the mayor’s office is “centralizing our council relations under Deputy Mayor Surratt, in partnership with our council liaison Tracey Whitten.”

Wilson said she assembled a team with a mix of experience inside and outside government and that the early phase of the administration has included “learning what works well and what may need to change in order to continue to effectively move forward on our key priorities.” According to Wilson, Handy will continue an ongoing process “to assess and make recommendations related to our staffing capacity and team structures.”

Wilson said Handy has more than a decade of local government experience, most recently as an executive operations manager in the mayor’s office and formerly as director of council central staff. Wilson also cited Handy’s organizational development experience, including serving as an interim executive director at Puget Sound Sage and the Washington Budget and Policy Center.

While I understand change can be unsettling,” Wilson said, “I want to assure all of you of that it is common for a new administration to refine its internal staffing roles.

Wilson also noted two additional departures planned since the beginning of her term. She said that in early July, Jen Chan, director of city operations, will complete a six-month commitment with the office and return later this summer to her deputy executive director role at the Seattle Housing Authority. Wilson said Edie Gilliss will also wrap up a six-month commitment as director of the mayor’s office operations and pipeline in early July and return to her role as government affairs and policy director with the Office of Sustainability and Environment.

Wilson said her focus remains on “expanding shelter, making our city more affordable, livable, and safe, creating irresistibly good transit, and building a more inclusive and accountable government.”

Staff shakeup comes after turbulent times in mayor’s office

The staff shakeup comes after a series of verbal missteps by Wilson that prompted national and viral attention, along with questions about her leadership.

On April 28, gunfire erupted near the Yesler Community Center during an event attended by Wilson, prompting security to escort her to safety. No injuries were reported, and police have said there is no indication the shooting was targeted.

In the days after the incident, Wilson said she was “doing great” and described the shooting outside the Yesler Community Center as “a reminder of how much work we have to do” on gun violence. When asked whether the experience changed her views on city policy, including surveillance measures, she initially declined to engage and later indicated her position had not fundamentally shifted.

Wilson later addressed the surveillance policy question on May 5. “I believe that CCTV cameras have an important role to play in our public safety system, and we also have to be very careful to make sure that our data storage and sharing practices don’t make that system vulnerable to misuse or abuse,” she said.

During another exchange with KOMO News on May 1, a junior Seattle Public Utilities staffer interrupted questioning and insisted the conversation remain focused on an event and “on topic,” suggesting a separate interview be scheduled. The moment mirrored a separate on-camera interaction in which Wilson declined to comment on Starbucks moving jobs to new corporate office space in Nashville, saying it was not the topic of her press conference.

The mayor also drew attention after she laughed aside concerns about wealthy individuals and businesses leaving the city, responding with a “bye” when she was asked during an April event at Seattle University whether she was concerned the policy could prompt wealthy residents and businesses to leave Washington state.

However, she praised major employers, including Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, and T-Mobile, for contributing millions of dollars toward affordable housing and homelessness programs during a May 7 event for the redevelopment of the Brighton housing community near Rainier Avenue, striking a notably collaborative tone after recent national attention surrounding her criticism of large corporations and support for new business taxes.

SEATTLE – Western Washington is staying locked into a cool and unsettled weather pattern as we head into the second half of the week.

Showers will continue to rotate through the region over the next several days as a series of weather disturbances move overhead, keeping skies mostly cloudy and temperatures running below average for mid-May.

Thursday will bring a brief break in the action before the next weak system arrives later in the day. Expect scattered showers to redevelop with plenty of cloud cover sticking around. Temperatures will remain cool, with highs near 60 degrees.

It will be cool on Thursday in Western Washington with increasing clouds and showers. (FOX 13 Seattle)

What’s next:

The weather turns a bit more active Friday as the next system swings into the Pacific Northwest. Western Washington will see widespread showers and even the possibility of a few isolated thunderstorms. While not everyone will hear thunder, a few heavier downpours and small hail can’t be ruled out if any storms manage to develop during the afternoon.

Rain showers will push through Western Washington again on Friday afternoon. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Saturday will be cool with scattered showers and another chance for isolated thunderstorms, especially near the Cascades. Afternoon highs will struggle to make it out of the 50s across many lowland Puget Sound area communities.

Mountain travelers should also be prepared for a dramatic change compared to the recent warm spell. Much colder air will filter into the Cascades this weekend, and while significant snow accumulation looks unlikely, higher elevations could still see snow showers and sharply colder conditions. Anyone planning outdoor recreation in the mountains should be ready for winter-like weather at times.

Snow levels will drop to near pass levels in the Washington Cascades Friday through Sunday. (FOX 13 Seattle)

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Looking Ahead:

The pattern finally begins to improve late in the weekend and into early next week. High pressure is expected to rebuild over the northeastern Pacific, bringing a return to drier weather and some sunshine. Temperatures should gradually rebound back into the 60s by Monday and Tuesday, although the ridge may remain weak enough to allow for occasional clouds at times.

Temperatures will be cool the next three days with showers in Seattle, but next week will be drier and warmer. (FOX 13 Seattle)

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SEATTLE – Remember that iconic Gap advertisement with the girl group dancing to “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard” that took the internet by storm in August? 

What we know:

Katseye, the girl-group in the ad, are taking center stage at Climate Pledge Arena on Nov. 17, with ticket sales dropping on Thursday, May 21 and their new EP, Wild, is set to release on Aug. 14 via Hybe x Geffen Records. 

The global girl group announced their WILDWORLD TOUR on Wednesday, bringing Katseye to arenas across Europe and North America this fall. 

Katseye’s tour will kickoff in Dublin, Ireland on September 1, at Dublin’s 3Arena, while the North American portion of their tour launches Oct. 13 in Miami, Florida at Kaseya Center. Other honorable tour venue mentions include UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY and Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. 

The WILDWORLD TOUR will conclude at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City on Nov. 27. 

Keep reading for ticket information and the full tour itinerary. 

Ticket Information

What’s next:

Tickets will be available beginning at the end of May. Specifically, Weverse Artist Presale tickets will be available on Wednesday, May 20 at 11:00 a.m. local time, before the Katseye.World Presale at 3:00 p.m. local time.

General onsale begins Thursday, May 21 at 3:00 p.m. local time at www.katseye.world.

Tour itinerary 

KATSEYE – WILDWORLD TOUR
UK/EU
9/1 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
9/3 – London, UK – The O2
9/6 – Manchester, UK – Co-Op Live
9/9 – Paris, France – Accor Arena
9/11 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
9/13 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena
9/15 – Antwerp, Belgium – AFAS Dome
9/17 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

North America
10/13 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
10/15 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
10/20 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
10/22 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
10/24 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena
10/28 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
10/30 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
11/1 – Hamilton, ON – TD Coliseum
11/3 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
11/5 – Chicago, IL – United Center
11/7 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
11/10 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
11/11 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
11/14 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/17 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
11/19 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
11/21 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
11/24 – Phoenix, AZ – Mortgage Matchup Center
11/27 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes

2026 Festival Dates
6/5 – New York, NY – The Governors Ball Music Festival
7/30 – Saint Charles, IA – Hinterland Music Festival
8/8 – Pasadena, CA – 88rising Festival: Head In The Clouds

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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.