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Meet our team
Get to know OLEO's staff and their roles.
Directors
Tamer Abouzeid - Director
Tamer is a lawyer with experience in investigations, public policy, civil rights, and mediation. Before coming to OLEO, Tamer served as Staff Attorney at CAIR-Chicago; Legal Counsel to the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, where he also organized around community control of the police; and Investigator at Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability. Prior to his public service career, Tamer practiced International Arbitration at Shearman & Sterling, LLP. Tamer received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, his law degree from Georgetown Law, and his mediation certificate from Northwestern University.
Katy Kirschner - Deputy Director
Katy has expertise in conducting objective systemic reviews of policies and practices and in making recommendations for equitable policy changes. She has employed these practices in positions with the both the Department of Defense and the University of Washington. Katy was born and raised in King County, where she also worked as a researcher and case manager. As a researcher, she collaborated with the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, and Seattle Neighborhood Group to create strategies to engage the community and advocate for youth in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. Katy is a graduate of the University of Washington and obtained her Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance.
Operations team
Liz Dop - Operations Manager
Liz joined OLEO after serving in the King County Hearing Examiner’s Office where she supported public hearings, managed case database and workflow, and acted as a primary liaison between staff and the public. She is bilingual, speaking English and Vietnamese. Prior to working at King County, Liz provided executive support to the Vice President of Job Training and Education at Seattle Goodwill Industries (where she was employee of the year in 2015) and worked for a non-profit organization called LifeWire whose mission was to end domestic violence. Liz was born and raised in Seattle and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Women’s Studies from the University of Washington.
Sophie Ziliak - Project Administrator
Sophie came to OLEO after working in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as a paralegal for diversion programs and competency cases, a role requiring sharp administrative skills for a growing area of legal practice. During her six years in the PAO, she developed a passion for equity within the criminal justice system, which was amplified by her experience as a member of the Ellis Civic Fellowship. Sophie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Washington and is eager to apply the lens of data analysis to law enforcement oversight work. Raised primarily in the Greater Seattle area, she also enjoys creating community through open water swimming, cycling, and hiking.
Investigations team
Ryan McPhail - Investigations Monitor
Ryan joined OLEO as its Investigations Monitor in 2024. Ryan came to the Pacific Northwest by way of Chicago, where he spent ten years in private law practice before becoming an investigator for the city's law enforcement oversight agency, COPA. Ryan is excited to continue the important work of police oversight here in King County. Ryan is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. When not working, Ryan enjoys cooking and spending time with his wife and crazy dog. He has not taken up hiking yet but will probably succumb to peer pressure eventually.
Kate Miller - Investigations Analyst
Kate is an attorney who joined OLEO in 2023. She previously worked at the Washington Innocence Project and the Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, where she helped coordinate the Task Force on Race and the Criminal Justice System. She also served as an appellate public defender in Chicago before moving to Seattle. An ardent Midwesterner, Kate received her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and her JD from the University of Chicago.
Rick Powell - Investigations Analyst
Richard Powell is a former private investigator and Pacific Northwest native. After receiving his education at the University of Washington and interning with the Pierce County Department of Assigned Counsel he began his private practice, investigating on behalf of public defense attorneys across the Pacific Northwest. He comes to OLEO with a passion for justice and contributing to building a healthy relationship between law enforcement and the communities of King County.
Megan (Thal) Kraft - Investigations Analyst
Megan joins OLEO after spending 13 years working in community mental health for two non-profit organizations in the Seattle area – Community Psychiatric Clinic and Sound. She spent the first 10 years in both residential and outpatient settings, providing direct service as a mental health case manager to the area’s most vulnerable and marginalized populations. Within the last 3 years, she transitioned to a more administrative role, with a focus on quality improvement and compliance in behavioral health. Born and raised in Arizona, she double majored in both Criminal Justice and Criminology and Psychology at Arizona State University. In 2019, she received a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Seattle University with a specialization in Victimology.
Policy team
Lea Hunter - Senior Policy Analyst
Lea is passionate about using data and research to promote community safety. Lea’s prior experience includes serving as a mayoral fellow in Chicago, a researcher at the Center for American Progress (CAP), and a special assistant and project manager in the Office of the Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (NV). Throughout her career she has worked to advance progressive public safety priorities at the local, state, and federal levels. Lea proudly served as president of the CAP Employees Union, helping to negotiate higher wages and more progressive working conditions.
Lea holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Utah and Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University.
Community engagement team
Simrit Hans - Community Engagement Specialist
Simrit originally hails from British Columbia, Canada and has called Washington home for 15 years now. She attended the University of Washington twice, first to study English Literature and then to obtain her law degree. Simrit is passionate about serving the public and pursuing equity in all areas of her work. She has three cats, is an avid mystery reader, and has seen every episode of The Golden Girls more than once.