Governor-backed executive coordinator and Leadership Council set to launch under HB 2429

State officials briefed the work group on implementation steps under House Bill 2429: a gubernatorial executive coordinator position to lead Washington Thriving implementation and a Leadership Council whose composition is defined by the statute.

David (governor's office) said the executive-coordinator position has been approved and will be posted shortly, with philanthropic funding secured for an initial two-year period. He said the role will provide strategic leadership from the governor's office to coordinate implementation across agencies and community partners.

Taku described the Leadership Council membership per HB 2429: eight state-agency seats, seats for parents/caregivers and young people with lived experience, tribal representatives, two legislative seats and behavioral-health-workgroup representation. The team said they are preparing recruitment materials for youth and lived-experience seats and are working with tribal councils on nomination procedures spelled out in the bill.

Officials said a draft charter for the Leadership Council exists and outreach to agency leaders will follow as recruitment timelines firm. They are aiming for an initial council meeting by Oct. 1, coordinated with hiring the executive coordinator. Members asked to be notified when outreach goes to agency heads so agency-level representatives can assist in interpreting requests.

Speakers framed the council as an operational mechanism to keep the plan from "sitting on a shelf," and to provide a gubernatorial touchpoint to help prioritize and coordinate cross-agency work needed to implement Washington Thriving.