The Burien City Council will interview five candidates for city manager at a special daytime session on Tuesday, Nov. 17, including two people who already work for the city.
The special meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. in city council chambers on the first floor of Burien City Hall (map below).
The agenda calls for a briefing for the interview panel, followed by morning and afternoon interviews with all five finalists:
- Morning: Mandy Wagner, Richard Marsh Jr. and Lorraine Chachere
- Afternoon: Nilesh Mehta and Rod Steitzer are scheduled to interview after lunch.
The council could take action and make its selection after meeting in executive session to discuss the applicants’ qualifications, according to the city’s agenda (download PDF here).
Chachere, Burien’s economic development specialist, and Steitzer, its public works director, are the two candidates who currently work for the city. The other three bring experience in municipal utilities, town management and public finance, according to application materials the city released with the agenda.
The city lists several ways to follow the meeting, including in person at City Hall (map below), live on Comcast TV Channel 21, via Zoom or via livestream. Spanish interpretation is available through Zoom.
Meet the Candidates
The candidates’ backgrounds come from their cover letters and resumes from the city’s website; links are to their profiles:
Mandy Wagner is assistant general manager of WaterOne, a municipal water utility based in Lenexa, Kansas. She oversees human resources, communications, customer service and field services. She previously served as assistant city manager in Derby, Kansas, and finance director in Atchison, Kansas.
Richard Marsh Jr. has served as town manager of Wellton, Arizona, since January 2022, according to his resume. He previously served as city manager in Bisbee, Arizona, and in several Michigan cities, including Ecorse and Inkster. He says he has more than 30 years of local government experience.
Lorraine Chachere has worked as Burien’s Economic Development Specialist since 2019. Her work includes supporting local businesses, administering grants and serving as the city’s liaison to its Business and Economic Development Partnership advisory board. She previously worked as Auburn’s tourism coordinator and says she serves as a Highline College trustee. “Burien is home,” Chachere wrote in her cover letter. “As a resident for eight years, it would be a tremendous honor to serve the community I live in as the City Manager.”
Nilesh Mehta served as assistant city manager in West Covina, California, from September 2025 to September 2026. He previously directed fiscal services for the South Whittier School District and served as chief deputy city treasurer in Redondo Beach, California, where he says he managed a $100 million investment portfolio.
Rod Steitzer has been Burien’s public works director since September 2024. He says he served as acting city manager during the city’s leadership transition. A civil engineer, Steitzer previously managed capital projects for Kirkland’s public works department.
Meet the Candidates Monday Night, Nov. 16
Also, don’t forget that there will be a candidate “Meet & Greet” from 6–8 p.m. Monday night, Nov. 16 at Burien City Hall, open to all.
