By Lindsay Peyton

Assuming the role of interim city manager of Burien was not much of a stretch for Tony Piasecki – after all, he served in a similar post just to the south in Des Moines for two decades.

“It was like I went to sleep and when I woke up they moved city hall and changed the staff,” he said. “There are a lot of similar things going on in both cities. I was able to come in and hit the ground running.”

In Des Moines, Piasecki served as assistant manager for five years and city manager for the rest of his term in town. He had planned to switch to consulting gigs after retiring from the position.

“And I had intended to take a little time off, but you can never predict these things,” he said. “I got a call that said, ‘We’re looking for an interim manager. Send in your resume if you’re interested.’”

He already knew the mayor, council members and staff from working side-by-side on a number of regional projects.

“For my first interim position, what better than for me to be in a city, right next door to where I used to work? I knew the people, and I knew the issues,” Piasecki said. “I had been following what happened in surrounding areas, because things spill over and overlap.”

He said both cities share concerns with the airport and both are poised for economic development. He was aware of Burien’s efforts to create a way-finding system.

One new issues, however, was the city’s struggle with homelessness.

Burien’s deputy mayor Nancy Tosta said Piasecki has served the city well. “The best thing about Tony is that he has a very pragmatic attitude about city business items,” she said. “He’s very down to earth.”

Piasecki grew up in Iowa and attended the University of Iowa, where he earned his degree in political science.

He had his sights set on becoming a city manager from his undergrad days – and, on that track, he pursued a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Texas’s LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Piasecki then accepted an internship at the City of Phoenix, where he worked in the budget and research office, as well as with the city council and city manager.

He stuck around as a management assistant for the city’s environmental committee for the next three and a half years, before joining the water department’s customer service division, first as acting administrator for two years and later as an administrator for six years.

Piasecki went on the hunt for a job in a smaller city with a cooler climate and found the posting for assistant manager at Des Moines.

He and his wife Diane settled into the city and the Pacific Northwest lifestyle -- camping, hiking and kayaking when they could. The couple moved to Tacoma last year.

By mid-April, the City of Burien plans to announce its choice a new city manager, selected from a list of five finalists.

Piasecki said that the city manager position comes with its challenges.

“The best advice I can give is to understand what’s going on here, and the candidates are doing their due diligence,” he said. “They should talk to a lot of people.”

He said one of the perks of becoming city manager include helping Burien prosper.

“There’s so much potential here,” he said. “I think the next manager will take that to the next level. There are some really cool businesses here. There’s an artistic, funky vibe. People like being a little different and more authentic here.”

For more information, visit www.burienwa.gov.