In a unanimous decision, the Bellevue City Council has promoted Acting City Manager Diane Carlson to the permanent position, following a meticulous community-inclusive selection process. According to a press release from the City of Bellevue, Carlson, who has been acting city manager since November 2023 after Brad Miyake's retirement, is set to officiate her role once an employment contract is solidified in the coming weeks.
The appointment was met with affirming nods from city officials, including Mayor Lynne Robinson, who, in a statement obtained by the City of Bellevue, said, "To be able to hire someone of Diane Carlson’s caliber into a major leadership position with her historic knowledge and without having to have a transition period…is just invaluable." However, the final step before Carlson can dive into her duties involves contract negotiations, which the council will charter, and a formal vote will be anticipated to conclude the process this fall, as detailed by the city's press release.
Carlson's appointment didn't occur in a vacuum; it was the product of deliberate community and stakeholder involvement orchestrated by the city’s human resources staff with help from an external consultant. The feedback from this engagement was instrumental in developing a city manager candidate profile that the council used to assess and eventually vote for Carlson during a May council meeting.
Engaging further with the public sphere, the city invited Bellevue's residents to contribute interview questions for Carlson through community forums held in August. "I'm passionate about Bellevue and recognize that the role of city manager is the highest level of responsibility to serve our community and carry out this council’s vision," Carlson said during one such interview. Referenced recordings and detailed information about the interview process are publicly accessible on the City Manager Hiring Process page of Bellevue's official website.
