LYNNWOOD—Lynnwood Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Deputy Director Sarah Olson announced her resignation today, Monday, July 29, after 26 years with the city. Olson’s resignation is effective on August 9 but with a planned vacation, her last day of physical work will be on August 2.

“Seeing the Lynnwood community for nearly 26 years, including the past ten years as Deputy Director, has been an immense honor,” Olson wrote in an email addressed to colleagues Monday. “Together, we have achieved significant milestones in enhancing accessibility and equity through multimodal planning, transit access, capital projects, neighborhood plans, fire service, and so much more. I am confident that our collective efforts have made a lasting impact, and I hope the city will continue to advance great work.”

Olson shared the announcement with “mixed emotions,” she said. Her resignation comes at a time shortly after Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell appointed Parks Superintendent Joel Faber to Interim Director, despite former Parks Director Lynn Sordel’s recommendation to transition Olson in as Director.

Sordel informed the Lynnwood Times he had been training Olson for the role for nearly a decade.

Faber’s interim position is ending and the city is scheduled to announce a permanent Parks Director on August 12.

Olson joined the City of Lynnwood staff in 1998 as Assistant Aquatics Supervisor where she implemented a new swim lesson program that serves 6,500-7,000 participants annually and conducted on-going program evaluation. During this time, she also managed and coordinated a six-agency joint program, guided the department’s Sponsorship Committee in annual strategic planning, and review of policies and procedures. She also created the department’s Blood Borne Pathogen program and procedural response.

In 2005 Olson became Lynnwood’s Community Programs Supervisor where she led a citywide implementation of GovDelivery electronic news service; a communication tool for community members, coordinated a promotional campaign for reopening of the Lynnwood Recreation Center after a $25 million renovation and expansion capital improvement project, and served seven years as chair for the countywide Get Movin’, a multi-agency, collaborative health program, seeing it through organizational development and program expansion.

While in that role, Olson also managed the City’s yearlong and highly visible 50th Birthday Celebration campaign which included 70+ events, street pole banners, production of a commemorative history book and video, concluding with a multicultural celebration, and created the City’s communication team, a cross-departmental strategy team responsible for implementing a citywide brand, website redevelopment, social media policy development, and e-newsletter service expansion.

Olson became the City of Lynnwood’s Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Deputy Director in 2014 where she served as the City’s lead negotiator project manager for the development and adoption of a regional fire authority plan with successful formation and transition to the South Snohomish County Regional Fire Authority and developed over $25 million in capital and planning grant awards. She also managed over 20 capital projects representing more than $40 million in park capital investment and adopted and implemented park impact fee program securing dedicated revenue source for park system capital program, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Olson holds a master’s degree in public administration from Seattle University and a bachelor’s degree in science and biology from Western Washington University.

Olson’s resignation follows a string of long-term Senior- and Director-level departures from the City: Evan Chinn, Human Resources Director, Art Ceniza, Assistant City Administrator, Corbitt Loch, Strategic Planner, and Lynn Sordel, Lynnwood Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Director.