Anthony-Paul (AP) Diaz is a commissioner of the Seattle Sports Commission, the superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation, and a member of Mayor Bruce Harrell’s cabinet. He has over twenty-seven years of professional experience. He previously served as the executive officer and general counsel for the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, helping lead many high-profile matters, including transformation, restoration, and the management model for the iconic Greek Theatre and preparation and development of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games’ PlayLA Youth Sports legacy initiative.
In Seattle, Diaz manages and oversees 500 parks, special sites and facilities, 2,500 employees, a $1 billion operating and capital budget, the Parks District Levy, along with governance, legal, support and policy matters related to the Park Commission, City Council, City Attorney’s Office, Mayor’s Office and the Seattle Park Foundation.
He serves on many high-level civic community organizations as a board member for the Seattle Aquarium, the Seattle Zoo, the Washington Arboretum, and the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park.
Diaz is a licensed lawyer in the State of California and a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and Loyola Law School. He holds a Bachelor of Science in International Politics and Juris Doctorate degrees. He is an adjunct professor at Seattle University Law School and a Judge Pro Tem.
As a lawyer he litigated hundreds of matters in the City Attorney’s Criminal Branch, including thirty jury trials and practiced municipal law in the Civil Division’s Municipal Law Branch, as legal counsel to the Los Angeles City Council, various City Departments and as lead contract counsel for the Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments. Previously he practiced law at Knapp, Petersen & Clarke and served as a Judicial Extern for the California Appellate Court.
Diaz is a board member for the National Recreation and Parks Association, an executive board member for World Urban Parks, and a fellow of the American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration and a member of Hispanic Professional in Parks and Recreation Association.
He enjoys teaching law, adult development theory and transformational leadership; is a faculty member for NRPA’s Director’s School teaching park planning and development, marketing, communications, and diversity, equity, and inclusion; past chair and member of the Parks & Recreation Magazine Editorial Advisory Board.