After a career with the City of Yakima that has spanned more than three decades, including the last 15 years in the role of Public Works Director, Chris Waarvick will retire at the end of July.<\/p>\n
Waarvick told City Manager Tony O\u2019Rourke that he\u2019s retiring now in order to spend more time with his family and to have a greater opportunity to pursue a favorite activity of his \u2013 traveling.<\/p>\n
\u201cChris has been an outstanding asset to the City of Yakima throughout his career,\u201d said O\u2019Rourke.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s been an invaluable source of information for me and has provided a strong sense of stability since I came to the City last year.\u00a0 He will definitely be missed because of his significant experience and vast institutional knowledge,\u201d said O\u2019Rourke.\u00a0 \u201cWe certainly wish Chris all the best and thank him for his many years of outstanding service to the Yakima community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Waarvick was originally hired by the City as a Wastewater Pretreatment Technician in August of 1980.\u00a0 He was promoted to the position of Sewer Maintenance Supervisor about two years later.\u00a0 In June of 1984, Waarvick was again promoted to serve as the City\u2019s Acting Wastewater Division Manager.\u00a0 In October of that year, \u201cActing\u201d was removed from Waarvick\u2019s title as he became the City\u2019s Wastewater Division Manager.\u00a0 After another longtime Public Works Director retired in February of 1998, Waarvick was appointed to serve as Acting Public Works Director.\u00a0 Then in July of 1998, he was promoted to the position of Public Works Director and has overseen one of the City\u2019s largest departments ever since.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Rourke has decided to have current City Wastewater Division Manager Scott Schafer serve in the position of Acting Public Works Director once Waarvick retires.\u00a0 When Schafer takes on those duties, current Utility Engineer Shelley Willson will step in as Acting Wastewater Division Manager.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Rourke plans on determining how to fill the Public Works Director position on a permanent basis within the next six months.<\/p>\n
Schafer has worked for the City since July of 1996 when he was hired as a Lab Technician in the Wastewater Division.\u00a0 He was promoted to the position of Environmental Analyst in the Wastewater Division in September of 2003 and then to the position of Assistant Wastewater Division Manager in July of 2005.\u00a0 In September of 2008, Schafer was named to serve as the Acting Wastewater Division Manager and became the City\u2019s Wastewater Division Manager in February of 2009.<\/p>\n
Willson was first hired by the City as a Traffic Technician in April of 1983.\u00a0 She was promoted to the position of Supervising Traffic Engineer about seven years later.\u00a0 After serving in an acting capacity for six months, Willson became the City\u2019s Streets and Traffic Division Manager in January of 1999.\u00a0 Since December of 2007, she has worked primarily on stormwater issues as a Utility Engineer in the Wastewater Division.<\/p>\n
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