The Juneau Assembly has named Katie Koester, the city’s public works director, as the new city manager.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to be chosen to serve in this role for my community,” she said. “It’s really quite an honor.”
Koester succeeds Rorie Watt, who announced his retirement in April after 30 years working for the city. During his seven years as city manager, Juneau experienced rapid growth in tourism, weathered the pandemic and began its economic recovery.
Koester was named Juneau’s director of engineering and public works in 2019. Before that, she’d been the city manager of Homer, her hometown, since 2015.
She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alaska Southeast and a master’s in political science from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Assembly member Christine Woll said candidates from around the country applied. She said the most qualified applicants interviewed with the full Assembly and met with senior city officials.
“It became quite clear at the end that we had an amazing candidate in Ms. Koester,” Woll said. “We’re super fortunate to have someone who had been a city manager in Alaska before, someone who had led a major department with the CBJ and had regularly demonstrated her commitment to our community of Juneau.”
Koester said she likes to think of the engineering department as the “doing department.” She thinks her experience there will serve her well in the city manager role.
“Engineering and public works keeps the streets plowed, gets people to school, gets people to work, provides somewhere to recycle our junk,” she said. “I think having that perspective of managing an operational department that does day-to-day work will be important.”
Koester’s salary will be $210,000. She’ll assume the role in September alongside Watt during his last month on the job.
