David Harrison

David S. Harrison is a senior lecturer emeritus at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. He taught policy analysis and new program design in the Evans School’s Masters in Public Administration program.

Harrison’s career has been devoted to creating bridges between the policymaking community, policy researchers, and citizens. He came to the Northwest in 1986 to found and direct the Northwest Policy Center, which for many years provided policy assistance on economic vitality issues to governmental leaders throughout the region. In that position, Harrison devised a number of new tools to help policymakers shape new strategies, including a policy “mock trial” that has been utilized by nearly 100 organizations and agencies of government. He is an experienced and skilled facilitator of public meetings and governmental strategic planning processes. His clients have included King County, the City of Seattle, the Washington Department of Licensing, Seattle Public Library, and the Puget Sound Regional Council. He carries out his consulting practice through Triangle Associates of Seattle.

In 2003, Washington Governor Gary Locke named him chair of the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. He was reappointed by Governor Christine Gregoire in 2005. The WTECB brings together business, labor, education and government to devise, implement and evaluate workforce training strategies for the state of Washington. In 2005, Harrison also served as Chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Welfare Reform.

In 2006, Harrison initiated Strategies to Eliminate Poverty under the auspices of the Seattle Foundation. Made possible by a five year commitment from the Northwest Area Foundation, this new program will assist researchers in developing new governmental policies to combat poverty.

Harrison holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is the founder and former director of the Forum at the Evans School. He served as senior policy advisor to Senator Maria Cantwell from 2001-2003 and as a member of the Bainbridge Island School Board from 1993-1997. He and his wife Cynthia have lived on Bainbridge Island since 1986.