In the past three years, The Urbanist has significantly expanded its editorial capacity to the point where we have had, for the last year, two full-time staff members: Publisher Doug Trumm and Contributing Editor Ryan Packer. Thanks to the generous support of our readers, The Urbanist is able to expand again. Today, we’re delighted to share that we’ve hired our third team member: Diego Batres, our new Director of Development & Events.
If Doug and Ryan’s job is to bring you the high-quality reporting on our region that you’ve come to expect from The Urbanist, then Diego’s job will be to help build community and power around that reporting by connecting the stories we write to actions YOU can take. He’ll take over the management of our monthly socials — currently held at SLU’s Teku Tavern — immediately and will work with the rest of the team here to significantly expand our events and advocacy program in the weeks and months ahead. (Don’t miss our February 3 social with House Our Neighbors)
Diego has been involved in local politics and activism since 2021, starting his journey while pursuing degrees in Political Science and English at Seattle University. More recently, he managed Ron Davis’s nearly successful 2023 campaign for Seattle City Council and served as the King County Organizer for the successful No on 2117 campaign. At its core, Diego’s work has been about building communities on a timeline — but often, at the end of campaigns, the community fades away. At The Urbanist, he will have a chance to — with your help — build an active, welcoming, and enthusiastic community that outlasts any election cycle.
Though Diego’s work has often centered on Seattle, his roots extend across the region. Born and raised in Sammamish, he moved to Seattle in 2015 to attend high school. The motivation behind his work is to see the entire region, not just the city of Seattle, become an example of good urban living for the rest of the country.
Currently, Diego rents in the Central District with his partner. Always on the lookout for new bars and restaurants, you can send him recommendations (or other directly pertinent communication) at diego@theurbanist.org. To share event ideas and suggestions, reach out either to diego@theurbanist.org or use the links at the bottom of The Urbanist’s Events Calendar. And keep an eye out for upcoming events where you can meet Diego in person.
Welcome, Diego!
The Urbanist staff occasionally teams up to cover breaking news or tackle large projects. See more about our team on the staff page.