Steve Hall retires tomorrow after 13 years as City Manager of Olympia. Assistant City Manager Jay Burney will serve as Interim City Manager beginning November 8.

Prior to becoming City Manager in 2003, Hall served as Olympia’s Assistant City Manager for 13 years. The manager of more than 600 employees was named the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce’s Boss of the Year in 2014.

Hall’s accolades this week included a proclamation that credited him with encouraging City staff to “find one way to say yes instead of three ways to say no.”

Washington Retail President & CEO Renée Sunde worked for Hall for two years as Olympia’s first Economic Development Director. She praised Hall for his many leadership qualities, among other things, for showing her resiliency in the face of the challenges of managing the city through tough issues. Hall’s legacy includes numerous downtown mixed-use development projects, construction of a new City Hall and the Hands On Children’s Museum and goodwill in the community.

Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby added her compliments as well.

“Steve Hall is one of those rare leaders that has the ability to plan strategically while inspiring cooperation across the City team,” she said. “He has managed Olympia with the important qualities of vision, courage and integrity.”