As of early December, former Deputy City Manager Noel Treat has officially assumed leadership of city operations.

By a unanimous 7-0 vote in June, the City Council selected Treat to succeed Rich Conrad, who recently concluded a distinguished 33 years with the city.

“I am very honored by this selection and look forward to serving the City Council and all of the Island’s residents in my new role,” said Treat. “I am committed to maintaining our city government’s focus on excellent customer service and to ensuring that Mercer Island remains one of the most livable communities in the region.”

Treat’s background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College and a law degree from the University of Arizona, followed by several public administration and legal positions within the King County region.

Prior to joining city staff 18 months ago as deputy city manager, Treat served as deputy superintendent for the Seattle School District.

As part of his personal emphasis on meeting residents and hearing their concerns, Treat intends to establish open office hours for the public in 2014.

Also as part of Treat’s new administration, he has designated two assistant city managers to help him oversee staff work, as of Dec. 1, 2013.

In her new role, Kirsten Taylor, formerly administrative services manager in the city’s development services group, will focus on leading special projects, coordinating work on regional issues, and managing other critical matters for the city manager’s office.

In his additional role, Finance Director Chip Corder will continue to oversee the finance department and will also become responsible for coordinating the work of the information-geographic services and maintenance departments, as well as the city-wide Capital Improvement Planning (CIP) process.

Contact Noel Treat via email at noel.treat@mercergov.org.