Yakima City Council Taps O’Rourke For City Manager

Following an executive session held Friday night, the Yakima City Council has voted unanimously on Tony O’Rourke for Yakima’s next city manager.

O’Rourke was one of four finalists for the job, all of whom were interviewed for the position by the council, city department directors, and a community member panel Sunday.  Each finalist also underwent one-on-one interviews with each council member.

O’Rourke is currently the city manager in South Lake Tahoe, California, a position he has held since August 2010.  Prior to taking the job in South Lake Tahoe, O’Rourke had been the executive director of Beaver Creek Resort Company since 1996.  He served as the chief executive of this alpine resort which hosts an average of more than three million guests each year and generates more than $400 million in annual sales.

“Tony has extensive management and leadership experience in both the public sector and the private sector and that appeals to the Council. We want him to bring his knowledge and energy to Yakima to help our community move forward. All of the finalists were strong in their own right, but, in the opinion the Council, Tony stood out the most. The Council was united in its decision to begin negotiations with Tony, and I’m pleased that the Council is all on the same page.  It’s a positive sign for the Council and for Yakima,” said Yakima Mayor Micah Cawley.