Shoreline's new City Manager: Julie Underwood

Julie Underwood, new Shoreline City Manager

The Shoreline City Council voted unanimously to appoint Julie Underwood as the City’s new City Manager. Underwood’s appointment is the culmination of a 19 week search for a new City Manager after current City Manager Robert Olander announced his retirement in August, 2010.

Underwood is the current Assistant City Manager for Shoreline and has been in that position since 2002. Throughout her tenure at Shoreline, Underwood has been involved in all aspects of the City’s daily operations. Before coming to Shoreline, Underwood worked for the City of Rockville, Maryland as the Assistant to the City Manager and as a management assistant.

Underwood has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government and Politics from George Mason University. She has also received the Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association. To receive the credential, an individual must have significant experience as a senior management executive in local government and demonstrate a commitment to high standards of integrity and to lifelong learning and professional development.

Underwood has also served on the Washington City/County Management Association Board since 2007 and is a past president of the Shoreline Breakfast Rotary Club. Underwood is a resident of Shoreline where she lives with her husband and three sons, all of whom are active in the community.

The Council hired Prothman, an executive search firm with extensive experience assisting local governments in the Pacific Northwest, to assist in the City Manager search. Over 40 applicants from 15 states were considered for the position. Of those, 13 semifinalists were chosen by the City Council to be interviewed. Council then narrowed the list to three candidates to be interviewed by the full Council and the City’s Leadership Team, which is comprised of the different department directors at the City.

From those three finalists, the Council unanimously appointed Underwood. Underwood will start as City Manager on February 25.