Former DSA Head Kate Joncas Honored with IDA Lifetime Achievement Award

At last month’s 71st International Downtown Association’s Annual Conference & Marketplace in Washington, D.C., former Downtown Seattle Association President & CEO Kate Joncas received the IDA Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition reserved for leaders who have profoundly shaped downtowns across the country.

Joncas, who led DSA for 20 years before serving as Seattle’s deputy mayor and now as director of urban strategy and development at MIG, was honored for a career spanning nearly five decades in urban revitalization and place management.

“I am honored to receive this award from the many friends and colleagues I have worked with in the IDA network over the years — sharing successes and failures, crafting innovative solutions and just generally supporting each other when the work was hard,” Joncas said.

The IDA Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates leaders whose influence extends beyond their home cities through leadership, dedication and generosity. As one of the first female downtown CEOs in a major U.S. city, Joncas helped redefine what’s possible for downtown leadership and mentored generations of professionals in the field.

“This recognition of Kate’s impact and her career is so well-deserved,” DSA President & CEO Jon Scholes said. “She’s been an industry icon for decades and fellow leaders in our urban place management sector look to her for advice and counsel. She spent 20 years guiding the Downtown Seattle Association and as you look downtown you can see her impact — both within our organization and the broader community.”

Joncas’s influence on downtown Seattle is unmistakable. During her two decades at DSA — from 1994-2014 — she led transformative efforts that reshaped the city’s urban core, driving major gains in residential growth, transit access, retail vitality and public space activation. Under her leadership, downtown became one of the nation’s most successful examples of sustained revitalization, setting the stage for today’s vibrant mix of residents, businesses and cultural life.

After leaving DSA, Joncas served as Seattle’s deputy mayor from 2014-2017. She oversaw 32 departments and guided initiatives including waterfront redevelopment, Convention Center expansion and a nationally recognized performance management program. Since 2019, she has brought her strategic vision to MIG, where she leads urban strategy and development projects in cities nationwide.

Upon receiving the lifetime achievement award at the IDA conference, Joncas received a standing ovation before and after delivering inspiring remarks. Sitting in the front row were several members of DSA’s leadership team, including Scholes.

“She has been a trailblazer and a mentor, particularly for women in our industry, and her calm and confident leadership during pivotal moments for IDA has left an indelible mark,” IDA President & CEO David Downey said of Joncas. “We are incredibly proud to honor Kate for her unwavering commitment and the path she has forged for countless professionals who have followed.”

“This award is testimony to Kate’s incredible character and leadership in a wide range of city building endeavors over her career,” MIG Chief Development Officer Christopher Beynon added. “Kate is bold, intelligent, resilient and strategic, and she has instilled these qualities in her many mentees over the decades — a true reflection of her ongoing impact.”