Office of Professional Accountability About the Director

BIOGRAPHY

The Director of the OPA is Kathryn Olson, a civilian appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council May 7, 2007.  The Director oversees the intake, classification, and investigation of complaints, certifies investigative findings, and makes recommendations on disposition and discipline to the Chief of Police.

Kathryn Olson is the second appointed Director of the Office of Professional Accountability.  She obtained her undergraduate degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences from University of California, Davis in 1975, and her Juris Doctorate degree from the Case Western Reserve University Law School in 1982.  She initially worked as an attorney with the Women's Law Fund in Cleveland, Ohio, and then Assistant Director of the Fair Employment Practices Clinic and Lecturer in Law at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.  Ms. Olson joined the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1991.  She most recently served as a Supervisory Trial Attorney in the Seattle Field Office, where she oversaw attorneys and support staff in enforcing civil rights laws in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana.  Her responsibilities included managing investigations and litigation alleging violation of Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, or the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Ms. Olson is a certified mediator and frequently makes presentations on a variety of substantive and procedural topics related to labor and employment issues associated with a diverse workforce. 

Director Olson is committed to seeing that complaints brought to the OPA are investigated in a timely manner while ensuring fairness and thoroughness for everyone involved in the process.

OPA DIRECTOR

Kathryn Olson