Stanley Tsao is a recent addition to our Community Liaisons program team. He serves as a project manager focused on transportation related projects such as Vision Zero and Transportation Equity.

Get to know a little bit about Stanley below:

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Hong Kong, China. I moved to Vancouver, Canada as an international student and moved again to Seattle as a working adult. Not many people can say “I have immigrated twice”.

What neighborhood do you call home?

Lower Queen Anne/Uptown

What makes your neighborhood special?

We are the “Center” of Seattle where the city often comes together to have fun!

What did you do prior to joining the Department of Neighborhoods?

I did public policy, community outreach and advocacy work prior to joining the Department of Neighborhoods. I am excited to continue to do a lot of the same work but in a local government context.

What made you want to work at the Department of Neighborhoods?

I would like to use my community and outreach experience to help the Department and the City to better connect with underrepresented communities and explain programs in plain language and in residents’ native languages. I also want to personalize our engagement efforts in individual visits, small group interactions, and at locations where residents live, shop, and play.

What’s your favorite place in Seattle and why?

Chinatown/International District. This is where I can find forgotten histories, good foods, and a strong community where old Asian immigrants would be living side-by-side with millennial hipsters.

What are you passionate about?

I do have many passions, too many sometimes. Right now, I want to fight for social justice, work with underrepresented communities, make sure all eligible voters are registered to vote and turnout in elections, try to do fewer things in life but do them much better, enjoy the experience of traveling to new places, and spend as much time as I can with my family.