PRESS RELEASE
Economic development leader to guide SISC's Native Village & Gateway project and next chapter of urban Native services
SEATTLE, Wash. - September 28, 2026 - The Seattle Indian Services Commission (SISC) announced today the appointment of MiaCate Kennedy I as its new Executive Director, effective August 24, 2026. Kennedy will lead the organization as it advances the Native Village & Gateway, a community-led project in Seattle's International District designed to strengthen services and economic opportunity for the urban Native community.
Kennedy is a three-time CEO with deep experience in economic development, public development authorities, and organizational leadership. She has led regional economic development and chamber organizations in Washington and Idaho and built longstanding relationships with Tribal Nations across the Pacific Northwest. A Washington native, she grew up in the San Juan Islands. She holds a degree from Gonzaga University, where she is completing her master's in organizational leadership.
"MiaCate is an exceptional leader and her addition to our team is what we needed as she is well suited on many facets to lead SISC forward. Her knowledge and abilities will yield an abundance of professional advancement of our project for the greater good of the Little Saigon neighborhood and the greater Seattle area." Robert Howard, Vice-Chair, SISC Governing Council.
"I'm excited and honored to join SISC. The Native Village and Gateway Project will be a place of culture, resilience, and belonging, rooted in Native community and open to all, and I can't wait to work alongside our community, our Tribal partners, and the Governing Council to help bring it to life," said Kennedy.
Chartered in 1972 as a public corporation of the City of Seattle, SISC works to meet the needs of Native people living in Seattle and King County. It is building a network of Native Villages that offer holistic family empowerment services and economic opportunities while celebrating Native culture.
About the Seattle Indian Services Commission
The Seattle Indian Services Commission (SISC) is a public development authority formed to expand housing, jobs, and income opportunities and to improve living conditions for American Indians and Alaska Natives in King County. Learn more at seattleindianservices.org.
Media Contact info@seattleindianservices.org
