By Owen Sexton / [email protected]
With her official last day approaching next week, it was a bittersweet final city council meeting for retiring Chehalis City Manager Jill Anderson on Monday, April 8.
During the meeting, she was honored by both the Chehalis City Council and her fellow staff members for her seven years as city manager.
“Jill’s unwavering dedication to Chehalis has been evident in her proactive approach to identifying and addressing areas for improvement, and facing these projects with a can-do attitude,” Chehalis Mayor Tony Ketchum said.
Along with an official proclamation in which the city thanked her for her work, Chehalis Human Resources Manager Glenn Schaffer and Chehalis City Clerk Kassi Bateman presented Anderson with an honorary plaque and a bouquet of flowers.
Anderson thanked the council, fellow city staff, Experience Chehalis and the Chehalis Foundation for their support and guidance throughout her seven-year tenure as city manager.
“When I arrived here in Chehalis, I was in awe of what had been accomplished and how much this community came together for what it believed in,” Anderson said.
“Now, seven and a half years later, I have had the opportunity to be a part of that energy and that success. Seeing downtown businesses flourish, even during the pandemic, was nothing short of amazing.”
Completed projects Anderson helped oversee during her time as city manager include the Recreation Park improvement project, updating the city’s comprehensive plan and subdivision code, securing water rights for future developments in Chehalis, human resources oversight, helping acquire an interim fire station, getting an emergency management services levy established and helping guide the city’s decisions and response during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also on Monday, Anderson introduced new Chehalis Finance Director Nicholle Stanhope, following the retirement of former Chehalis Finance Director Chun Saul last month.
“This is Nicholle’s first day, so we’re introducing her to the full fledge of city operations today,” Anderson said.
She added Stanhope is a certified public accountant with almost 20 years of experience as a financial analyst working for Weyerhaeuser, Nippon Dynawave Packaging and most recently the security company Allegion.
“While she does not have any municipal city experience, she’s already started her research and we know she is going to pick up things very quickly,” Anderson said.
Stanhope has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on accounting and business management according to her linkedin profile.
The City of Chehalis is hosting a farewell reception for Anderson next week on her last day, Tuesday, April 16, which the public is invited to attend.
It will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Chehalis City Hall, located at 350 N. Market Blvd.
For more information on next week’s reception, email Schaffer at [email protected].