Olympia assistant city manager leaving for a new job in Oregon
After almost 20 years of service to Olympia, Assistant City Manager Keith Stahley is heading 160 miles south to take on a new role.
Stahley has been hired by the city of Salem, Oregon, to be its city manager. In an interview with The Olympian, Stahley said it’s been his goal to reach the position one day.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to basically complete my career,” he said. “To exercise the full extent of my leadership capacity and to really define who I am as a leader in that organization.”
Stahley’s last City Council meeting will be Aug. 9, and he’s expected to start in Salem on Sept. 12.
Stahley started out in Palm Beach County, Florida, as a planner. He moved up to planning director for Acme Improvement District in Florida for six years. When that community incorporated, he served as the deputy village manager for three years before moving to Hickory, North Carolina, to be the planning director.
From North Carolina came the move to Olympia, when he was hired in 2005 as the community planning and development director. He became assistant city manager in 2019 and has been leading the city’s response to homelessness since.
He said the city’s focus on addressing homelessness and the housing crisis has been consuming over the last four years. The City Council adopted a resolution in 2018 directing staff to take actions regarding homelessness, and he said it feels like they’ve been hard at work ever since. In December 2021, the city opened Unity Commons, a 60-bed shelter and 62-unit supportive housing complex to provide housing for those most vulnerable in Thurston County.
“It’s been challenging but it’s also been tremendously rewarding,” he said. “That’s what I’m most proud of being involved in.”
Stahley also had a hand in updating the city’s Shoreline Master Program, the Comprehensive Plan, and getting funding for construction and support of permanent supportive housing projects.
He said he imagines he’ll continue to be involved in housing issues and Salem’s response to homelessness, but he’s unsure to what extent.
“It’s going to be interesting to see where the community and council wants to go,” he said. “Oregon has different funding strategies for that sort of work, so I have a lot to learn, especially with moving to a new state and new community.”
He said he’s going to miss the people in Olympia the most, and that he’ll miss the trees, Sophie’s Scoops and riding his bike through LBA Woods to work.
“There’s nothing like 37 degrees and a hard rain to make you feel like a dedicated cyclist,” he said.
During the July 19 City Council meeting, city manager Jay Burney said Stahley has contributed greatly to the city.
“It’s always hard to lose an amazing employee, but when they leave because they are doing so to achieve their own personal career and family goals, it fills my heart,” Burney said.
Stahley said the city of Salem has about 1,200 employees. The city manager is appointed by the City Council and serves as the chief executive officer of the city, working under the council. They also prepare the annual recommended budget, update the council on administrative issues, policy matters and more.
The listed salary of the position was $220,000 to $250,000, according to the Statesman Journal in Salem.
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