By Katie Nelson
Highline Times

It is only Normandy Park city manager Glenn Akramoff’s few weeks on the job, but already he has big plans for the tiny community nestled beside Burien.

Akramoff has worked in cities like Sammamish and Covington since his arrival in Washington in 1989. However, he began his ascent of the municipal ladder early on, despite his lack of a college education.

“I started at my hometown in New York as a temporary maintenance worker, and I’ve worked my way up through the years,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time doing self-education. I’ve got a certification as a performance coach, as a facilitator, and pretty much every municipal thing you can think of. I’ve been able to work my way through job after job.”

Akramoff was hired for his current position in Normandy Park after both his wife and the Covington city manager encouraged him to apply. He said he feels that his strong suits are put to good use in a small town in need of encouragement.

“My startup experience fits in here, not because it’s a new city, because it’s not, but it’s in a time of rebirth,” Akramoff said, explaining that young couples who grew up in the city often return to raise their own children.

He also believes that he inherited his desire to better his surroundings from his parents, both of whom worked in public service positions.

“I like to help people succeed, and I love helping communities. … My dad was a police officer for 30 years, and my mom, for a little while, was a village clerk,” he said. “I have that public service in my blood, and so making a difference in a community where my skill set is useful is good.”

As for what he hopes to accomplish during his time in Normandy Park, Akramoff says he is excited about continuing the economic growth the city has already exhibited in the building of the Normandy Park Towne Square and Manhattan Village shopping centers.

“My background is maintenance and there is a lot of maintenance that needs to be done. Deferred maintenance, really, because of a lack of staff and lack of resources,” he said. “I think a clean community makes a safer community.”

Despite a decrease in funds caused by the economic downturn, Akramoff is confident that Normandy Park will rebound and retain its most valuable asset--its small-town identity.

“Financially, everybody on staff is concerned about losing that, losing parks and losing the feeling of Normandy Park, and that’s my mission is to work to make sure that that doesn’t happen,” he said. “I’m excited to be here … and to do whatever I can to make it better.”