Seattle Culture
Seafair Names New CEO
Emily Cantrell will begin in September
By Rob Smith August 7, 2024
Emily Cantrell has been a huge fan of Seafair since moving to the Seattle area from Germany when she was 12. Now she’ll get to run it.
Cantrell, interim CEO at Seattle nonprofit Provail, is the new president and chief executive officer of the Seafair Charitable Foundation, the entity responsible for Seattle’s annual summer festival known for hydroplane races, the Blue Angels Air Show, the Seafair Torchlight Parade, the Seafair Triathlon, and numerous community events including parades and cultural festivals.
She replaces Eric Corning, who has served as president and CEO the past five years.
“For more than 20 years, I’ve been working to connect people and strengthen our community,” says Cantrell, who was Seafair’s director of communications and marketing several years ago. “Now, I’ll be at the heart of Seattle’s biggest community celebration.”
Cantrell also previously served as vice president of operations and strategy at Greater Seattle Partners; as director at World Trade Center Seattle; as tourism manager at Visit Seattle; and was a news writer and producer at KOMO TV. She currently serves as a foundation board member for the Alliance for Gun Responsibility.
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