Public can meet Tumwater city administrator finalists Tuesday, but 2 they might already know

Ty Vinson
Updated ·2 min read

The public is invited to meet the five finalists for Tumwater City Administrator at a reception Tuesday evening.

The reception be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, at Tumwater City Hall, 555 Israel Road SW. All five finalists, as well as Mayor Debbie Sullivan and the city council, will attend.

John Doan is retiring as City Administrator after 13 years. Sullivan and a consultant chose the five finalists to take over Doan’s role. Two of the finalists hold government leadership positions in Thurston County now.

Here are the finalists:

Amy Cleveland

Amy Cleveland is the executive director of administration for Pierce Transit in Lakewood. She has more than 20 years of work experience in both public and nonprofit sectors, according to the city of Tumwater’s news release. She graduated from Saint Martin’s University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Lisa Parks

Lisa Parks currently serves as the Executive Services Director for the Port of Olympia. She has a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning from Eastern Washington University, and she has more than 30 years of experience working with local governments.

Paul Simmons

Paul Simmons is the Parks, Arts and Recreation director for the City of Olympia, where he’s served for nearly 20 years. He has a bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Stacey Leon Smalls

Stacey Leon Smalls is the Public Works Director for the City of Charlottesville, Virginia. He has more than 30 years of experience in public, private and military sectors, both locally and internationally, according to the news release from the city of Tumwater. He holds an Executive Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University.

Jennifer Pearson Stapleton

Jennifer Pearson Stapleton is the City Administrator for the City of Sandpoint, Idaho. She has worked in both public and nonprofit sectors for nearly 30 years, according to the city of Tumwater. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Gonzaga University, and a master’s degree in public administration from Eastern Washington University.