By Mary Lou Pauly

Special to the Reporter

I’m excited to introduce our new city administrator, Wally Bobkiewicz, to our community. Wally will be joining our team on Sept. 30.

Our previous administrator, Emily Moon, resigned in August to spend time with her family, and I’m very thankful for her many years of service to Issaquah. Emily’s early notice provided me with a good amount of time to successfully run a recruitment process, as well as complete a smooth transition for our staff team.

This has been my biggest priority this spring and likely the most important decision I will make in my term as mayor. It is such a key role. The city administrator provides support to our elected city council, manages our daily operations, and assists the mayor and the community toward achieving our shared vision for a complete, vibrant and sustainable community.

I am confident that Wally will bring a wealth of knowledge, expertise and passion for public service to Issaquah.

Wally is currently city manager of Evanston, Ill., a community of 75,000 residents located just north of Chicago. Prior to that, Wally served seven years as city manager of Santa Paula, Calif., and four and a half years as assistant city manager in Novato, Calif.

While this was a lengthy process, one of the most meaningful touches for me was a site visit I made to Evanston. I saw the accomplishments and successes firsthand. From elected leaders to business owners, I talked directly with those in his community who wholeheartedly recommend him for a city leadership role.

Here at home in Issaquah, our community, city council and staff provided feedback on this important decision with thoughtful candidate questions, comments and requests to do all the due diligence necessary to ensure this was the best fit for Issaquah at this time. I cannot thank you all enough for your engagement in this hiring process.

I believe Wally shares Issaquah’s values, and I am excited he will be joining our city this fall. He plans to move to Issaquah with his wife, Patrice, and son, Wally IV. When you see him around town, please be sure to introduce yourself, and your hopes for Issaquah’s future.

Mary Lou Pauly is the mayor of Issaquah.