Patrick Bannon, President & CEO, Bellevue Downtown Association
Patrick Bannon is president and CEO of the Bellevue Downtown Association (BDA), a membership organization of business and civic leaders who have championed a strong economic and cultural heart for Bellevue and the Eastside over the past 50 years. BDA members support advocacy, marketing and major community events, and strategic programs to help the Downtown area thrive. Patrick joined the BDA team in 2005 and was appointed president in 2013. Prior to the BDA, he was a public affairs manager for corporate clients in the Seattle and Los Angeles offices of Hill+Knowlton Strategies. He also served a year abroad in Hokkaido, Japan, teaching English conversation in five junior high schools. Patrick is a past board chair and alumnus of Leadership Eastside. He graduated from Pepperdine University, where he also met his wife, Sunni. Eastside residents for more than 20 years, they share a home with two teenagers and a yellow Lab.
Pearl Leung, Senior Manager of Public Policy, Amazon
Pearl Leung is the Senior Manager of Public Policy at Amazon where she leads public policy on the Eastside. Pearl dedicated 19 years of her career building deep partnerships with over 250 community organizations across Washington State at the intersections of urban growth, equity, housing, transportation, and economic development. Prior to joining Amazon, Pearl was the Director of External Affairs at Vulcan, Inc and served as an advisor for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Pearl is a proud double Husky with a Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Washington. She currently serves on the boards of Hopelink, Housing Connector, University of Washington Board of Regents DEI Advisory Committee, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, and Bellevue Downtown Association.