Published May 20 2024
The City of Bellevue announced Monday Emil King will be the new director of the city’s Community Development Department, effective June 1, following the retirement of current director Michael Kattermann.
King has more than 20 years of experience with the city. For the past five years, he has led Community Development’s planning division, overseeing a team of professional planners focused on securing Bellevue’s future as a livable, inspiring, vibrant and equitable community. This has recently included a major update to Bellevue’s Comprehensive Plan and advancement of the city’s goals and strategic priorities on environmental stewardship and affordable housing.
Prior to working for the city, King was a consultant for Washington cities and counties developing growth management plans and implementation codes.
King is a certified planner and holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Washington and an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
“I am very pleased Emil will be leading Bellevue’s Community Development Department, especially as we plan for the next 20 years of growth and change in our community,” said Acting City Manager Diane Carlson. “Emil brings a significant amount of knowledge and experience in planning and community development and he has strong connections and relationships with the Bellevue community and within the organization.”
The Community Development Department is comprised of 75 staff and includes the planning, cultural and economic development, and neighborhood services divisions. In addition, the department supports the Planning Commission, Arts Commission and Bellevue-Redmond Tourism Promotion Area Board.
Kattermann retired on May 15. He had previously spent a decade working at the City of Bellevue as a senior planner before leading community development at another Puget Sound jurisdiction and returning to Bellevue as director in 2022. Community Development assistant director Mike McCormick Huentelman is filling in as acting director until King steps into the role in June.