Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Committee recommends four JATC reappointments as City Light highlights apprenticeship 'earn-and-learn' pipeline
Loading...
Summary
After a presentation by Davonna Johnson on the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee and the utility's apprenticeship programs, the committee recommended confirmation of four mayoral reappointments (Summer Hepburn, Todd Schneider, Jeffrey G. Berry and Michiko Starks) by a 5–0 vote; presenters emphasized partnerships with Seattle colleges and Seattle Promise.
Davonna Johnson, people and culture officer at Seattle City Light, told the committee that the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) operates under a council resolution and follows Washington State Apprenticeship Training Council guidelines, with mayoral appointments and equal representation from labor and management.
"We have three apprenticeship subcommittees," Johnson said, describing subcommittees at Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities and the finance and administrative services department that feed recommendations to the JATC. She said the JATC recommends instructors, monitors apprentices' classroom and on-the-job training, and has administrative authority to address apprentice performance.
Johnson introduced four mayoral reappointment candidates: Summer Hepburn, a labor representative from Local 32 who completed the SPU water pipe worker apprenticeship and now works as a crew chief and instructor; Todd Schneider, SPU apprenticeship program manager and a longtime apprenticeship liaison with Washington State Labor and Industries; Jeffrey G. Berry, a Seattle City Light crew chief who came through City Light's line worker and electrical construction programs; and Michiko Starks, Seattle City Light apprenticeship manager who previously worked with the Puget Sound Electrical Workers Apprenticeship program and holds a master's degree in policy analysis and management.
Council members praised the program's role in workforce development and college partnerships. Council members referenced successful local collaborations with North Seattle and South Seattle colleges and the Seattle Promise pipeline for students, and several members urged broader outreach to potential recruits who might not see trades as a career path.
Chair Juarez moved to recommend confirmation of the four reappointments; after a second, the clerk recorded a 5–0 vote to recommend confirmation. The confirmations will be forwarded to the full Seattle City Council meeting on 03/10/2026.
