MARYSVILLE — Former Marysville city administrator Mary Swenson has joined the Seattle political consulting firm Strategies 360 as a senior adviser.
Swenson, a Lake Stevens resident, will focus on growing the firm’s municipal government relations practice, according to a statement by the company.
“We’re thrilled to bring Mary on board,” said Ron Dotzauer, the firm’s co-founder, chief executive officer and a Snohomish County resident. “Mary’s expertise and strategic counsel will be invaluable to our clients. Her regional connections are incredible, but her knowledge of how to get things done is even better.”
Swenson retired in March after 32 years with the city. She said at the time she had been hired by the Seattle firm.
Strategies 360 has been paid to do publicity on behalf of several local causes in the past three years. The city of Mukilteo hired the firm to fight air passenger service at Paine Field. Developer Dave Barnett hired the company to promote Barnett’s plan for a mini-city near Lake Roesiger, a plan that was scrapped when the council banned such developments from the county. The city of Marysville and a group of north county residents and businesses hired Strategies 360 to promote the area as a location for a University of Washington northern campus. That effort has been on hold for lack of funding.
Before beginning work as the city administrator in 2001, Swenson served as a city clerk and assistant city administrator for 10 years. She was a secretary for the first 10 years of her tenure and worked with each department of what was then a much smaller city. The city grew in population from 4,700 to 58,000 during her time there.
As city administrator, Swenson guided the development of master plans for three areas within Marysville, promoting industrial development, more retail development and revitalization of the downtown business district, according to Strategies 360.
Three major retail centers have opened recently and boosted city retail sales and use taxes by more than 52 percent in two years, according to the firm.
Herald reporter Amy Daybert contributed to this story.
Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.
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