Following the election of a brand new mayor in Seattle, one among Amazon’s prime executives reaffirmed its dedication to the area Tuesday, promising, “We’re not going wherever.”
David Zapolsky, Amazon chief world affairs and authorized officer, made the remark throughout an Amazon Neighborhood Influence Reception at The Spheres in Seattle, the place he and others mentioned the corporate’s philanthropic and civic initiatives from housing to meals safety.
“Clearly, this can be a time of change, each on this area and all over the world,” Zapolsky stated. “Amazon stays dedicated to our house, this Puget Sound area. We’re not going wherever. And so we stay dedicated to constructing this group.”
It’s a uncommon public reaffirmation of the Seattle area as Amazon’s major base. It follows years of political disputes over taxes and different metropolis insurance policies that contributed to Amazon shifting extra of its workforce to Bellevue, Wash., and Northern Virginia.
With the arrival of Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson, Amazon should as soon as once more set up a working relationship with a metropolis chief who ran on guarantees to handle points corresponding to affordability, led to partly by a tech increase that Amazon helped gasoline.
Wilson defeated Mayor Bruce Harrell, a extra enterprise pleasant chief than Amazon was used to coping with throughout the tech large’s strained relations with Metropolis Corridor.
“I’ve tried to have a really supportive relationship, but in addition one on mutual accountability,” Harrell informed GeekWire in January about his dealings with Amazon. “I feel it’s figuring out effectively.”
Throughout her marketing campaign in September, Wilson informed GeekWire that she goals to work with the tech sector and Amazon on progressive options to civic challenges.
A longtime group organizer and Transit Riders Union co-founder, Wilson helped design and cross Seattle’s controversial JumpStart payroll expense tax in 2020. A majority of the income — $360 million in 2024 — is generated from 10 corporations, together with Amazon.
“Clearly Amazon and the opposite large tech corporations are crucial gamers in our metropolis and in our economic system, and so I feel it’s crucial that town has working relationships there,” she stated.
In the identical election that ushered in Wilson, voters additionally overwhelmingly accredited Proposition 2, a plan hatched by Harrell and Metropolis Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck that may reshape town’s enterprise and occupation (B&O) tax that applies to gross income. It would affect each small startups and enormous tech corporations corresponding to Amazon.
In accordance with public data, Zapolsky gave $550 to Harrell’s re-election marketing campaign. Amazon HR chief Beth Galetti ($650) and Amazon Shops CEO Doug Herrington ($550) are amongst others from Amazon who contributed.
Throughout Tuesday’s occasion at The Spheres, Amazon spotlighted its philanthropic efforts and the progress being made throughout the area, together with:
$900 million dedicated by means of its Housing Fund to create or protect greater than 10,000 reasonably priced houses.
4.5 million meals delivered to households in want since 2020.
380,000 mattress nights offered by means of Mary’s Place to households experiencing homelessness.
Zapolsky stated Amazon’s group technique shifted as the corporate quickly expanded in Seattle. He stated staff and leaders have at all times cared about their group, however the firm’s efforts had been casual and comparatively small-scale in its earlier days. By 2009 and 2010, Amazon had grown far sooner than anticipated and “we had been kind of backing into the size that we’ve within the metropolis,” Zapolsky stated — prompting firm leaders to acknowledge the necessity for a extra organized strategy.
From there, he stated, Amazon started making use of its core enterprise ideas to civic work: taking a long-term view, listening to companions to grasp what the group really wants, and specializing in the place Amazon’s distinctive capabilities — logistics, expertise, authorized experience — may make the largest affect, moderately than simply monetary contributions.
“We’re nonetheless in the midst of the journey,” Zapolsky stated.
Amazon counts greater than 80,000 full- and part-time staff within the Puget Sound area. About 50,000 company and tech staff are in Seattle— a quantity that shrunk from about 60,000 in 2020 as extra jobs shifted to Bellevue. The corporate lower 14,000 staff in broad layoffs in October, with 2,303 company staff in Washington state.
Zapolsky, who has been at Amazon 26 years, known as his transfer from New York to Seattle 32 years in the past one of the best determination he ever made. He cited town’s wonderful property, from its individuals and variety to its infrastructure enhancements together with the waterfront, conference heart, and Local weather Pledge Area.
“Even authorities when it tries can’t screw this up,” he stated, including, once more, “We’re right here to remain. We need to proceed working with our companions locally, proceed making the Puget Sound area higher for our group and for our staff.”
