Auburn adds Megan Utemei as government relations policy advisor to amplify city priorities

Mayor Nancy Backus introduced Megan Utemei as Auburn’s new government relations policy advisor and used a recent podcast interview to outline how the city will use the position to advance local priorities at the regional, state and federal levels.

"The way that I think about my job as the government relations policy advisor is sort of divided into kind of like three buckets," Utemei said, describing work that includes advising the mayor on strategy, building relationships and tracking policies that affect Auburn. She said those buckets guide day-to-day decisions and the city’s external advocacy.

Backus said the role has already eased her workload and improved the city’s preparation for regional and legislative meetings. "It has been game changing as far as being able to understand the issues without having to go into every little detail," the mayor said, calling government relations "not a one person job."

Utemei described her career background in federal offices — including time with U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s staff and as a congressional liaison on immigration matters — and said the instability she observed at the federal level influenced her move to local government. "I left the senator's office when the government was going to shut down," she said, noting that local government offers the chance to see results more quickly than in federal work.

Both hosts framed the new position as a tool to secure funding and coordinate priorities such as transportation, housing and infrastructure. Utemei highlighted coalition-building beyond traditional partners, saying Auburn needs to reach cities across the state and nontraditional stakeholders (utilities and private-sector partners) to advance workforce development and advocacy.

The pair also discussed a recent South King County coalition to support a crisis care center and protection of local services; Backus and Utemei said such regional partnerships help the city compete for federal and state dollars. Backus noted that municipalities must balance their budgets and that local governments rely on grants and infrastructure funds to expand services.

On technology, both emphasized that artificial intelligence is advancing faster than lawmaking. Utemei and Backus argued that AI should be treated as a tool that requires oversight and guardrails. "You've got to have people that are maintaining those guardrails," Backus said.

Utemei also described the personal values she brings to relationship-building — patience, kindness and empathy — and connected those to her upbringing as a Pacific Islander from Guam and Palau. She said those cultural values inform how she meets stakeholders "where they're at."

Utemei told listeners she began in the role roughly two months before the interview and joked that she had been in the job about "60 business days," adding she believes she started around April 1. She said the city team has been welcoming and that the position involves frequent, often urgent, outreach.

Backus used the interview to urge residents to engage with local government, noting Auburn city council meetings occur on the first and third Mondays at 7 p.m. and that low turnout can leave decisions to a small number of voters. "All government is local," she said, and encouraged listeners to participate in public comment and civic processes.

The episode closed without any formal city action taken during the interview; the conversation served as an introduction to Utemei’s role and priorities and a call for resident engagement.