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Good morning.

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Thank thank you for being here on is it

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give me a lot to to to digest
and remember on this day.

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First of all, it's 7/11.

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We could always remember that
the swearing in on 7/11, it's

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an all star day for two all stars.

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They're going to play baseball
on your special day.

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But in all seriousness,
thank all of you for being here.

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Family and friends
and co employees to celebrate.

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Really, what sort of a big milestone,
I think, in someone's career

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when both other elected

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officers and officials,
including myself, have just said

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this is the right person
for the right job at the right time

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and one of the most critical parts
of our city's history.

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So it sort of goes in the Wikipedia
history books when we get this kind of

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this kind of talent right.

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And my staff, they

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I don't know how they decide
who goes first.

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They either go in terms of intelligence
or good looks or seniority.

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I have no idea the criteria.

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But however, it was

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decided, we're going to start with AP
and then I'm going to move right to Rico.

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But truly, I'm very happy about this.

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And so I'll say a few words

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and we'll go through the formal part
of the swearing in process.

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So I'll start with with AP Diaz.

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This is, of course,
the official oath of office of the city's

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newest superintendent of Parks
and Recreation Department.

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I will call APD as although
his name is Anthony

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Paul Diaz AP because that's
how he's affectionately known.

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First of all,
we have to look at his portfolio,

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our parks,
our play fields, our community centers.

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I think we all could agree,
particularly here in Seattle,

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but in our nation, that this is
one of the most treasured assets that

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that a mayor takes pride in
and the city takes pride.

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And it's a place where people not
only recreation and have peace of mind,

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they ask themselves
how they fit into the world ecosystem

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and how nature is tied into however
their being as is sort of that cool thing

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where people find the rhythm of water
and trees and the air and

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and hopefully a city
as the great steward of that asset.

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So people could sort of families could
sort of find that peace with the earth.

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I sort of say that's
how I look at our asset system,

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a place where people could be mentored,
could be taught.

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I personally grew up in our park system,

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and I just had to say that in our
nationwide search for a new superintendent

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and I'm going to say a few things
about you, Chris, don't worry about,

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you know you're coming, brother. So

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that is we looked at

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what kind of leader we wanted.

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We found we found our superstar in AP.

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He was unanimously confirmed

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by the city council
as a park superintendent.

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Quite frankly, the people of Seattle
deserves a leader like AP.

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We've been through some tough times
as a country and as a city.

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AP has made his his commitment clear,
as his employees have made it

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clear to keep our parks
open, clean and accessible.

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You know, he was the executive officer
at Los Angeles Parks Department,

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and I knew he was a proven leader
because I talked I had done my research

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for everyone around you,
including Mayor Garcetti and others.

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And I asked for what I said,
what kind of quality I was looking

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for transparency, commitment,
high energy, high integrity.

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And your name
had come up in a few circles.

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And I have to tell you to go off script
a little bit for you to choose to take,

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just to uplift your roots in California,
which indeed are deep,

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and to take a leap of faith

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with your family and your children,
and doing what you do that

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that says a lot about you
and also says a lot about the colleagues

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around you, too, that you saw something
hopefully in this ecosystem here

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that says, you know,

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I can do this for any of those
that have experience or relocation

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to another city or another country,
they know what I'm talking about.

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You sort of dip
your toe in the water a little bit

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and you jumped right in and a lifejacket
on, I hope.

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But you you jumped right in

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and and we've received you well.

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And I think that you've
just become the star.

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We all thought you could be
a few characteristics

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that people have said about you,
that you are relatable.

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A carry visionary
who brings boundless energy.

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and enthusiasm to his work.

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He cares about centering equity
at our parks department,

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looking to prioritize access
for those furthest from opportunity.

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He is ushering a renewed focus on safety,
equitable

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access and climate conscious facilities
across our park system,

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very approachable and accessible
and an authentic leader

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who empowers his team to tackle
the most pressing challenges.

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It's no accident that Seattle,
as many of you have read, is named

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the eighth Best Park System in the nation
by the trust of public lands,

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and which is probably a good segway into

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leaders at the park

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system, including Chris Williams
and other people on your command staff.

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Thank you.

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I can't say command, so I get my police
hat on my leadership staff.

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Probably
you're not commanding anyone there.

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Of course you do have park rangers now

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that Chris, you've been

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a gracious leader and a person
of high integrity and high ability.

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Thank you.

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And your team, the team around
you built a wonderful team

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and that was important for me,
quite frankly, to recruit

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someone of this talent.

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So thank you
and others for for doing this.

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And in closing on the part about AP that

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I just like you, you know,

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some people I work around
and they're competent,

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they're ethical,
they have high integrity, and

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I'm not going to invite
them to a cocktail party. But

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and some people you just

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like and AP is just a very likable person.

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You are. To Greg, do I see you like now?

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I didn't say that about I didn't say
that about you on your certainly

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all of you are like, well,
let me clean it up like all of you

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are invited to my cocktail party.

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But you are indeed likable.

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And I think that's
why you're such a strong leader.

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And so we're going to move on
to the official oath of office,

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which will be administered by our new city
clerk, Sharon Dedmon.

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So this is this your debut Sharon? Okay.

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So the pressure's going to be now on you
and we're so happy

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that you join us as a city clerk.

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And the ceremonial pin affixed
will be by his spouse, Krista Diaz.

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So, Krista you could come up as well.

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Congratulations.

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I'm sorry.

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I'm going to be a little loud
so that the microphone can get me to.

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Okay, great.

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So please
raise your right hand and repeat after me.

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I Anthony, AP Diaz

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I, Anthony, Paul  AP Diaz

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Swear or affirm.

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Swear.

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That I possess all of the qualifications.

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That I possess.

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All of the qualifications.

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Prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

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Prescribed in the Seattle City Charter.

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And the Seattle Municipal

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Code... and the Seattle Municipal Code.

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For the position of the superintendent
of Seattle Parks and Recreation.

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For the position of Superintendent
for Seattle Parks and Recreation.

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That I will support the Constitution
of the United States.

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That I will support the Constitution
of the United States.

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The Constitution
of the State of Washington.

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The Constitution
of the State of Washington.

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And the charter
and ordinances of the City of Seattle.

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And the Charter
and ordinances of the City of Seattle.

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And that I will faithfully conduct myself.

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And that I will faithfully conduct myself.

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As the superintendent of Seattle Parks
and Recreation.

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As the proud superintendent
of Seattle Parks and Recreation.

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And congratulations.

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I can see them waiting to pin that pin.  Thank you.

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Thank you so much.

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Thank you, Mayor Harrell,
for believing in me,

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for seeking me, and for calling me up
to service to be on your team.

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I, too, like the mayor very, very much.

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You're paid.

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To say. That,

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you know, this is an exciting time.

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This is a highlight for me in my career.

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This is a highlight for my family.

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I can't look over.

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They're going to get emotional
because this is a big challenge.

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It's an awesome responsibility.

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And I, I want to start out
by saying and acknowledging first

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the indigenous Coast Salish people,

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because today I became the superintendent
of Seattle Parks and Recreation,

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the 26th superintendent since 1864.

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But we all know
that the original caretaker

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and stewards of this land came way
before us.

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26 came way before 1864.

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So an awesome responsibility
to stand in their shoes,

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to stand in that legacy,
and to be given the responsibility

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to care for our land, for our water,
and what it means to our environment.

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We we live in the Evergreen State,
in the Emerald City.

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Both of those reflective of nature
and the endless beauty

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of this great state of Washington.

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What also makes this state
great is the people that live in it.

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And I'm excited to lead

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and champion our parks for social equity

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and for justice
and for good in this city of Seattle.

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There's so much good in this city.

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People want to do good.

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They want to be prosperous.

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They want to thrive
and have health and wellness.

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And if there's one thing we learned

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through the pandemic, first of all,
all of us in this room are survivors.

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We're all survivors.

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We all went through something

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incredible.

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But the one place that we could come
to during this difficult time

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didn't matter whether you lived in Tokyo
or London or Seattle or Atlanta,

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was our park system
right for health and wellness?

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We realized the importance of parks,
and now more than ever,

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is the time to amplify the narrative
that parks are essential.

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Infrastructure to any city,
just as important as bridges and highways

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and schools.

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They are essential infrastructure.

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And so I'm really proud to share

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this department with amazing colleagues
who are in this room today,

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who have worked a lot of time and hours

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to return our park system to its glory,
to let the people of Seattle know

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that our parks are open and thriving,
that we're supporting the mayor's

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downtown activation plan.

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But his plan for the entire city,
which is simply to have a city

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that is thriving and that is recognized
for the greatness that it is.

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So I'm the I'm the new person in town.

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You're talking about
putting your toe in the water

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and hopefully with a life jacket,
my life jacket is sitting right there.

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His name's Christopher Williams.

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Talk about a salt of the earth man.

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Christopher Williams has a heart of gold.

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He's a champion.

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And he has been so embracing of me
and my family

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and so welcoming
and giving me the tools for success.

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I also want to acknowledge
something that Mayor Harrell said to me

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shortly after I accepted the position,
and he announced me at Hasler Park

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with my boss, Autumn Emery,
the deputy mayor.

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I sent him a text that day
and I said, I'm so honored

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and excited to join your team
and to be here in Seattle.

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Thank you for choosing me.

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Thank you for trusting me.

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And he wrote back
the best text I've ever received

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from a boss,
from a colleague, from an employer.

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And he said, A.P.,
we are proud to have you here.

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And I want you to know
that you will be afforded the grace,

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afforded the grace to make mistakes
and to fail in your new position,

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because you need to do those things
to advance this department forward.

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I want you to do those things
to advance this department forward.

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And so know that you have a team behind
you starting

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at the highest level of our city
that will afford you that grace

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to do well.

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And so I'm excited for that.

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I want to thank you for that.

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And that's a that's amazing.

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So I close today by acknowledging
my family

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who is here today, my wife, Krista,
my daughter Megan, my son Max.

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You guys are the pride of my life.

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You're my joy.

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You've taken this adventure
and this journey with me.

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And I'm so excited.

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And I want to thank you very trusting me

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to lead our family
into the next and best chapters.

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And I want to thank all of you
in the room, my colleagues, my friends,

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my supporters.

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Thank you for showing me
you are what make me great.

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You are what make me filled with joy
to come to work every single day.

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And I look forward
to rolling up my sleeves

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with all of the talented people
in this room and advancing Seattle

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to continue to thrive
and be the great city and the greatest

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nation and the greatest country
in the greatest planet on earth.

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So let's do good things
together. Thank you so much.