Mayor Harrell names LA parks executive to lead Seattle's Parks and Recreation department

Another executive officer from Los Angeles is set to lead a Seattle department.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the nomination of Anthony-Paul “AP” Diaz to be the next head of Seattle Parks and Recreation.

The mayor made his announcement at Yesler Terrace Park Thursday morning. Diaz said he’s ready to get to work, and to illuminate what he calls “the Seattle Shine.”

“We reject the notion that this is a city of insulation,” Diaz said. “It is not. It is a city of progress, of openness, of innovation, and of light.”

Diaz currently heads the parks department in Los Angeles. He has worked for the city for 20 years. Previously, he was the department's general counsel before becoming its executive officer. He said he shares the mayor’s vision for the city’s park system: a place for respite, health and wellness, and equity, among other things.

“Seeing the status of parks during the pandemic as they became one of the few options for gathering spaces and vitality, only reinforce my commitment to amplify our park system, and the narrative of what parks [do] and what they are in the future,” Diaz said.

If confirmed by the Seattle City Council, Diaz will lead the department that manages a park system of more than 6,000 acres.

This is Harrell's second nominee from LA. Greg Spotts was recently confirmed as the new head of the city's Transportation Department.