Stephanie Queen announced she will not seek to renew her employment contract as Soldotna City Manager, when the current term of her employment agreement expires on February 28, 2023.
In a letter to Mayor Whitney and the City Council dated November 29, 2022, Queen states, “It has been my great honor to serve our community these past fifteen years, and I could not have imagined the opportunities and benefits I’d receive working for the City of Soldotna. I am so proud of all we’ve accomplished together, and the strong foundation we’ve laid for the exciting opportunities that are yet to come. I am grateful to you, Mayor Whitney and Council Members, and want to thank you for providing consistent and thoughtful leadership during my tenure as City Manager these past five years. The trust you’ve placed in me and the strong support you’ve shown all City employees has been tremendous.”
The City Council appointed Queen to the City Manager position in February 2018, where she served an initial three‐year term that was later extended two additional years. Prior to her appointment, Queen served as the City’s Director of Economic Development and Planning, a department she led since 2008. Queen was born in Soldotna and grew up in Kenai, attending college out of state. She returned to Alaska in 2007 after receiving a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Engineering degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Mayor Paul Whitney says of Queen’s tenure, “I have had the pleasure and honor to have worked with Ms. Queen for over 10 years, starting when she was the City Planning Director through her tenure as City Manager. She has been an exceptional leader and has led the City through some difficult times, and maintained a positive attitude and always done what is best for our community and its citizens. She has led a very highly effective team of dedicated and motivated employees that we all can be proud of. Her leadership has brought the City a very bright future with many new and exciting projects to include the new Field House, Riverfront Development, and ensuring the future growth and financial stability of the City.”
Soldotna is a home rule city, with a ‘council‐manager’ form of government. The City Manager is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the City Council, and is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing all municipal operations. Mayor Whitney said the Council will begin planning for the recruitment of a new City Manager at the December 14th Council Meeting. He wished Queen well, saying “We will greatly miss Ms. Queen’s leadership, and I thank her for making the City of Soldotna a better place to live and do business. I wish her well on your future endeavors, and we will always have a place in our heart for her contribution to the welfare of the citizens of Soldotna.”
