Councilmember Debora Juarez's Staff

Email Kelly

Kelly joins the District 5 office as Chief of Staff. She brings with her a background in nonprofit human services leadership.

Previously Kelly served the D5 community as Executive Director of North Helpline for 10 years working to expand food access and housing support. She has also served on the boards of Aurora Commons, Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets, North Urban Human Services Alliance, and the Washington Food Coalition.

Kelly grew up in the Tampa Bay area, and after a short time in Baltimore, moved to Seattle in 2013 for an AmeriCorps position. In 2024, Kelly was recognized as one of Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 under 40 class. She is a D5 resident living in the Olympic Hills neighborhood with her two dogs Elio and Gracie.

Email Kimi

Kimi is proud to join Councilmember Juarez’s team as the Director of External Affairs & Media. Spending her childhood in Haiti, she is now a resident of the Seattle/King County area for over 30 years.

As former Chief Operating Officer for a social investment firm, Vault89, Kimi’s background is rooted in health equity and community health. In her role, she led the development of a student wellness application. She also advocated for funding in 26 schools across Washington state to access adequate nutrition specific to student athletes. In addition, she works closely with a local Native youth organization.

Kimi is currently on the Board of Trustees for Seattle Children’s Healthcare System and is a previous board member of Harvest Against Hunger and the Family First Community Center Foundation.

She enjoys surfing, scuba diving, and spending time with her two children. 

Email Paul

Paul Menefee grew up around the world as a military kid with most of his childhood in South Dakota. Paul joins the district 5 team with a diverse background including anti-trafficking work in SE Asia, community development across the US, and placing at the U.S. National Coffee Championship.

Paul moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, where he focused on international development & relations and policy analysis. During graduate school, Paul was a Gorton Leaders Fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research and a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellow studying the Khmer Language, Southeast Asian studies, and US-Asian Pacific affairs. Paul also worked as a graduate consultant for Representative Vandana Slatter, 48th LD, analyzing barriers for passing a data privacy law protecting consumers in Washington State. Most recently Paul worked at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers Compensation Program, helping former federal employees and their survivors in accessing and receiving compensation for occupational illnesses and disabilities.

When not working, Paul loves cooking, running, and camping with his wife and dogs.

Email Sofia

Sofia Suarez is the District Director for Councilmember Juarez, representing District 5 in Seattle. She came to this role driven by a commitment to community and a belief that local government should feel like a resource, not a barrier. At the core of her work is a deep dedication to service, to being present for residents, addressing their day to day needs, and making sure that government feels accessible and representative of the people it serves.

Her path to this role was shaped by years of working directly alongside community members. As a Housing and Essential Needs Case Manager at Catholic Community Services, Sofia supported over 145 individuals living with physical disabilities and mental illness in maintaining stable housing. That experience gave her a grounded understanding of the barriers many residents face and reinforced her belief that real change happens through thoughtful partnership and consistent follow through.

Sofia came into this work through the social sciences, earning her degree in Sociology and Criminology with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies from Gonzaga University, a foundation that continues to shape how she approaches policy and community work. She believes in evidence based solutions that are informed by research but always rooted in the real lived experiences of the people they are meant to serve. That belief is what led her to the Evans School of Public Policy at the University of Washington, where she is currently continuing her education and deepening her commitment to creating meaningful, lasting change for the residents of Seattle.