Carolyn Hope started June 15 as the deputy city manager for Mountlake Terrace.

City Manager Jeff Niten made the appointment after the April retirement of long-time Assistant City Manager Stephen Clifton. Hope had been a finalist in the recent city manager hiring process, and impressed the city council and staff with her experience and skillset, the city said in a news release announcing her appointment.

“We are excited for Carolyn to join our leadership team,” Niten said. “She brings a wealth of knowledge about community placemaking, and a broad background in city government operations that will benefit MLT.”

Hope’s primary responsibilities will include managing community and economic development, recreation and parks, and public works, as well as many internal programs and processes. Her background is in environmental planning and remediation and transportation, transit and park planning.

“I’m enthusiastic about the opportunity to work in my own neighborhood, meet more community members, and support the city council, city manager and staff in fulfilling their goals,” she said.

Her professional interests include innovative planning for urban centers, creative placemaking, comprehensive urban forestry, community engagement, long-term fiscal strategies, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Most recently, she worked as the parks, recreation and cultural services director for the City of Burien. She also served as the interim city manager there for much of last year. Before Burien, she was the park planning and cultural arts division manager for the City of Redmond.

Hope grew up in New England, where she studied public administration and political science at the University of Maine and earned a master’s degree in environmental studies at Yale University. She has lived in the North Seattle/Shoreline/Edmonds area for more than 25 years and now resides in Edmonds, steps away from Ballinger Park.

She is an avid cyclist and masters swimmer, and you will likely encounter her walking her husky in town. She can be reached at City Hall at 425-744-6207, chope@mltwa.gov.