Dr. Katrina Hunt is a proud product of Seattle Public Schools (SPS), a connection that has shaped her unwavering commitment to educational excellence and equity. As a graduate of Ingraham High School, she understands firsthand the transformative impact public education can have on students, families, and communities. This personal connection fuels her passion for ensuring that every student has access to a high-quality educational experience.

Since 2009, Dr. Hunt has served in public education in a variety of leadership roles across the district. Her career includes leadership positions at Aki Kurose Middle School, Garfield High School, and Washington Middle School, where she served as principal before being appointed as the Regional Executive Director for Southeast Schools.

Over the years, she has provided strategic leadership and support to school principals at every level, overseeing school improvement efforts, developing leaders, strengthening instructional practices, and advancing districtwide initiatives focused on student achievement, equity, and organizational excellence.

Dr. Hunt earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a Master of Education, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington. She recently completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Hampton University, where her research focused on trauma-informed leadership and the retention of Black women in executive PreK–12 educational leadership.

Schools supported:

• Aki Kurose
• Denny International
• Eckstein
• Hamilton International
• Madison
• McClure
• Mercer International
• Jane Addams
• Robert Eagle Staff
• Washington
• Whitman

As Executive Director of Elementary Schools, Dr. James Mercer partners closely with elementary principals and school communities to support teaching and learning, strengthen leadership practices, and ensure students receive a strong academic foundation.

Dr. Mercer brings more than two decades of experience working with kids from underserved communities into his role as the executive director. He has worked as an educator in four different states with drastically different standards for students, teachers, and leaders. These differences proved to be the catalyst that encouraged him to enter the path of educational leadership.

Dr. Mercer has served as an elementary and middle school teacher, middle school assistant principal and principal, and a central office administrator. Additionally, he is a skilled facilitator who has worked with hundreds of administrators across the nation to improve their instructional leadership practices.

Dr. Mercer earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary and early childhood education from the University of Toledo. He earned his master’s degree in educational leadership from Georgia State University and his doctorate in education leadership from Harvard University.

School supported:

Option Schools

• Queen Anne
• Cedar Park
• Thornton Creek

Elementary

• BF Day
• Adams
• Sanislo
• Fairmount Park
• Wing Luke
• Rising Star
• Kimball
• John Hay
• Olympic View
• West Woodland
• Maple
• Bailey Gatzert
• Magnolia
• View Ridge
• Viewlands
• Highland Park
• Montlake
• Stevens

Fred Podesta has devoted his career to public service by working more than 37 years as an employee and consultant to local and state government agencies in a variety of operations leadership roles overseeing infrastructure, finance, technology, customer service, and regulatory functions.

More than 25 of those years were spent with the City of Seattle, and offered Mr. Podesta a great opportunity to learn about our community and the contributions of Seattle Public Schools. Mr. Podesta is a proud graduate of the University of Washington.

Chief Podesta Oversees

• Admissions/Enrollment Services
• Business and Finance
• Capital Projects and Planning
• Culinary Services
• Enrollment Planning/Forecasting
• Facility Operations
• Information Technology and Optimization
• Safety and Security
• School Operations
• Transportation

Personal Statement

“Public education represents the best of our civic life. No other local institution is better positioned than Seattle Public Schools to foster an equitable community, enrich our neighborhoods, and establish our future. The positive impact of high-quality instruction in a welcoming and safe environment is profound.

“For our schools to deliver on their promise, the district must be a high-performing organization that supports students, families, educators, and school leaders with effective operations, visionary planning, sound financial management, and empowering tools. My mission as chief operations officer is to lead teams that provide that support.”

Beverly Redmond is a public relations professional, award-winning journalist, and consultant with more than 22 years of school public relations experience.

She currently serves as the chief of staff for Seattle Public Schools, leading the Division of Public Affairs, which includes the Community Engagement, Customer Service, the Ombudsperson Office, Communications, Media Relations, Web Services, the School Board Office, and SPSTV.

Chief Redmond Oversees

• Communications
• Customer Service
• Family Partnerships
• Media Relations
• Ombudsperson
• School Board Office
• Television Studio SPSTV
• Web Services

Personal Statement

With great pride, Chief Redmond has led the Division of Public Affairs for the last two years as her teams leverage their talent, expertise, skills, and tools to have a major impact across the greater Seattle Public Schools community.

Daily, she works shoulder-to-shoulder with SPS leadership to do accomplish the following:

• Sharing information about our schools and students through multiple forms of media and in many languages.
• Building capacity for school and central staff to share information through newsletters, websites, social media, phone messages, and community gatherings.
• Providing clear and timely crisis communications during inclement weather, natural disasters, or other emergencies.
• Creating community engagement opportunities for SPS families and staff with a goal of creating well-resourced schools in the face of dwindling funding for education.

Prior to joining the SPS leadership team, Chief Redmond served Elmhurst District 205 in Chicago’s west suburbs as the executive director of communications and public relations. During her time, she led the communications strategy for successful passage of a $168.5 million referendum that would ultimately build new schools and upgrade safety and security in all district schools.

Prior to District 205, she served the Hamilton Southeastern Schools leadership team as the director of school and community relations from October 2014-17. Chief Redmond also served 11 plus years as the director of diversity, school and community services for Monroe County Community School Corporation in Bloomington, Indiana.

Chief Redmond also has traveled extensively as an emcee with the HOPE Foundation, speaking to audiences of 500-1000 people. She is most fulfilled when working to inspire and empower others to achieve victory. Among her favorite quote sare the words of late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant:

“I was blessed with talent, but I worked (hard) as if I have none.”

Whether interviewing, standing on a stage or sitting behind a microphone, Chief Redmond is passionate about communication and the life stories she represents. She is pleased to bring her experiences to new challenges at Seattle Public Schools.

Above all, Chief Redmond is a devoted wife to her husband, Marquelle Redmond, and co-parent to her amazing children — Kelsey and Noelle.

Dr. Mike Starosky believes in the power of public education and has committed his professional life in helping to create the conditions for students to succeed by supporting high quality, equity-driven teaching and leading.

He further believes in that leadership matters-specifically school leadership matters to the success and support of high-quality teaching and learning.  Dr. Starosky is the assistant superintendent of academics.

Dr. Starosky earned a doctorate in school leadership and policy studies from the University of Washington and is a career middle school teacher and administrator.   He is a proud graduate of Seattle Public Schools having attended Whittier Elementary, Whitman Jr. High, and Ballard High School.

In 1994, he began his career in SPS as a middle school teacher at Mercer Middle School.  During his 29 years of professional service to SPS, he has held the role of teacher, assistant principal, principal of Whitman Middle School, principal leadership coach, chief of schools, and executive director of schools.

Dr. Starosky Oversees

Academic District Vision and Policy, Academic Strategy and Implementation connected to district goals, Professional Learning Structures and Systems for Educators and Leaders, Curriculum Adoption, Implementation, and Assessment

• Assessment and Instructional Improvement
• College and Career Readiness
• Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction
• Early Learning
• Liberatory Education
• Library Services
• School Counseling

Personal Statement

Dr. Starosky leads through the power of collaboration to foster high quality, equity-driven teaching and leading to impact all students.  The department of academics is committed to transforming the lives of all children through high-quality, equity-driven teaching and leading in which results in innovative, welcoming schools.  Dr. Starosky has committed his professional life to closing opportunity gaps by creating the conditions for adults to provide high quality teaching to every student.  Dr. Starosky leads with the belief that Seattle’s children, families, and communities are worthy of exceptional teaching and focuses his leadership and those whom he leads, to improving the conditions of adult learning to focus instructional leadership of school leaders and professional educators.

Dr. Starosky founded Seattle Public Schools’ leadership development and support program, Lead Up, which recruits, selects, and retains school leaders.  Under Dr. Starosky’s leadership the last six years, the Lead Up department has hired nearly 50% leaders of color.  Dr. Starosky was honored in 2015 with the University of Washington’s College of Education Professional Mentor Award for his outstanding leadership in mentoring and coaching of students at the University of Washington.  He was recognized in 2021 by the Washington Association of School Administrators for his significant impact on Public Education in Washington State by receiving the DA Davidson Barbara Mertens Award.  Additionally, he has been a presenter at number national professional leadership conferences.