Update: Former Kennewick Woman of the Year stepping down as key city and community leader

Kennewick City Manager Marie Mosley will retire at the end of the year, she announced at a Tuesday night council workshop.

She has worked in municipal government for 40 years, the last 13 as Kennewick city manager.

She told the council she was honored to serve as city manager “and believe we have achieved so much to make Kennewick a great place.”

“I look forward to work hard over the next remaining time I have with the city — which is about five months — on a successful transition and continued implementation of your goals and priorities,” she said.

She recommended that the council consider naming deputy city manager Dan Legard as the new city manager.

“Dan has the support of the department heads team and with the support of the council I feel that Dan and the leadership team can provide the continuity necessary for success,” she said.

The council did not discuss how it would select a replacement for her at the meeting.

Mosley is a native of the Tri-Cities and her first job for the city was as an accountant for seven years.

Then she worked for the cities of Renton and Federal Way.

She moved back to the Tri-Cities in 2001 to work as the finance manager for the city of Kennewick and then the support services executive director before being promoted to city manager.

Timing of retirement

“I am very proud of the community public/private partnerships, the cross-functional teams and cross-jurisdictional partnerships that make our bi-county Tri-Cities Region a great place,” Mosley said in a statement released after the workshop meeting.

“I am confident that with our forward-focused city council, strong leadership team and exceptional staff, the city is well positioned for continued success,” she said.

The end of 2023 is a good time for her to leave, given the progress the city has made on several initiatives, she said.

The city is updating its comprehensive plan and has been working this year on an economic development strategic plan, an information technology strategic plan, a parks and recreation comprehensive plan and a master plan for the Three Rivers Campus, which includes the convention center and Toyota Center.

When she was named Kennewick Woman of the Year in 2019 her nomination said that she had started her work as manager of Kennewick by developing its new motto, “Leading the Way” through integrity, inclusiveness, stewardship and communication.

“The motto and core values are not just words on a plaque, but are words that Marie lives by,” according to the two Kennewick leaders who nominated her — Kennewick Councilman Paul Parish, who died recently, and now retired Kennewick Police Chief Ken Hohenberg.

Mosley has worked not only to develop exceptional customer service in city government, but has built partnerships across city and county lines that benefit Kennewick and other Tri-Cities residents, the nomination said.

She recognizes that economic development brings vibrancy to the Tri-Cities and has championed ways to work with the Port of Kennewick.

The city and port have been recognized by the Washington state governor’s office for their partnership on projects in the Vista Entertainment District and the Columbia Gardens Urban Wine & Artisan Village, helping to bring in production wineries, tasting rooms and public artwork.

Mosley’s civic leadership

Mosley donates her personal time and finances generously to community programs, her nomination said.

She volunteered to forgo a raise in 2020 as the city struggled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She was board chairwoman of the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties in 2014 and 2015 and was named the distinguished volunteer of the year in 2017.

She’s also been involved with Junior Achievement, her church, the Kennewick Police Foundation’s Community Cares Fund and the Tri-Cities Cancer Center.

The leadership roles Mosley held as a city professional were numerous.

They include executive board member of the Tri-City Development Council, executive board chairwoman of the Tri-City Metro Task Force, executive board member of the Benton County Emergency Services, strategic committee member of the Tri-Cities Rivershore Enhancement Council, executive committee member of the Bicounty Police Information Network, administrative board member of Hanford Communities, and Joint Coliseum Advisory Council member.

This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 5:00 AM.