Juan Cotto

Juan Cotto is the Director of Government Affairs at Bloodworks Northwest, Western Washington’s blood health, blood research and blood bank institute. In his position Mr. Cotto develops and maintains relationships with minority and underrepresented communities to raise awareness about the mission and to encourage participation in blood drives. Prior to joining Bloodworks Mr. Cotto spent 12 years at Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, in three different administrative divisions, where he worked to increase awareness of cancer research in minority communities. Mr. Cotto was also Chair of the Fred Hutch Diversity Council and coordinated numerous programs to keep the conversation about Diversity relevant on the Fred Hutch scientific and research campuses.

Mr. Cotto is a lifelong Seattleite who grew up in the Beacon Hill neighborhoods of South Seattle. Mr. Cotto attended 12 years of Catholic school and graduated from O’dea High School. He attended Western Oregon State College where he graduated with a Degree in Social Science and has completed his coursework at the University of Washington’s Graduate School of Public Administration. A sports enthusiast, Mr. Cotto played baseball in college and has spent the last 25 years coaching a variety of sports in the Seattle area. Mr. Cotto has served as Head Football Coach at Highline HS in Burien, WA for five years and developed a program which produced 3 Division I players and 2 Head Coaches. Mr. Cotto spent the 2014 season at Franklin HS as the Head Coach and for 6 years was an assistant at Nathan Hale HS in Seattle.

Mr. Cotto serves on numerous non for profit boards including Sound Mental Health, the Children’s Campaign Fund, the Workforce Development Council, the Seattle Urban League, and Seattle Pony League Baseball. He currently serves on the Board of El Centro De La Raza where he was the President of the Board from 2016 through 2018. Mr. Cotto is married to Sara Cotto who is an independent therapist working with adolescent and teen age kids dealing with anxiety, bi-polar disorder, and video game addiction. Mr. and Mrs. Cotto live in the Leschi neighborhood of South Seattle with their two children, Clemente and Araceli.