Annual Dean's Distinguished Lecture
Delivered by: Diane Sugimura, MUP '07 

Tuesday, February 7, 2016
6:00 pm 
Architecture Hall - Room 147 
Reception to follow program

Join Diane Sugimura, MUP '07, as she discusses her personal planning perspectives, both past and future, how early influences had an impact on her later interests and actions while working for the City of Seattle. Diane will talk about how she became more aware of her ideas about equity, justice, race, and how startling comments made at public meetings brought back memories from long ago. In recent years, many of these issues have weighed heavily on her as a City planner and as director of planning, development, construction, and enforcement. She'll talk about what lies ahead for our community.

About Diane

Working for the City of Seattle for 38 years – including 14 years in the variously-named planning offices, and 11 years in a primarily regulatory agency – Diane has come full circle. From 2002 through 2015, she led Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development. Diane holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree from the University of Washington and a bachelor's degree from Oregon State University. She is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Seattle, and is on the Board of Trustees for the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience.

Sugimura was named an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle in 2005. She is a member of the Green Building Advisory Group for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America and in 2007 was named a finalist for the BetterBricks “Advocate” Award. In 2007, she was named Public Employee of the Year awarded jointly by the local chapters of Master Builders Association and the American Planning Association. In 2013, she was named a Living Building Hero by the International Living Future Institute, became a Cascadia Fellow with the Cascadia Green Building Council, and received the Municipal League Foundation’s Public Employee of the Year award in 2016. March 21, 2016 was proclaimed Diane Sugimura Day in the City of Seattle, by Mayor Murray and the City Council members.  

Diane holds a bachelors degree and a Master of Urban Planning at the University of Washington and holds a master’s degree Oregon State University.  She is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Seattle, and is on the Board of Trustees for the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience.