City Manager Rob Karlinsey resigns to take over as city manager of Moses Lake

"Kenmore is such an awesome community and has been so good to me," Karlinsey said. "While I am excited for my next career opportunity, it will be hard for me to leave this amazing community and all of the incredible people I have come to know and love."

After almost 13 years serving as Kenmore’s City Manager, Rob Karlinsey has accepted a new position as City Manager of Moses Lake, Washington. Karlinsey submitted his resignation to the Kenmore City Council, effective March 23, 2025.

“Rob has accomplished so much as Kenmore's City Manager, and we are a better city for his 13 years of leadership here,” said Mayor Nigel Herbig in a press release. “The City Council thanks him for his service to our community and wishes him all the best at Moses Lake.”

During his remaining time with Kenmore, Karlinsey will work closely with the City Council and staff to ensure a smooth transition, maintaining stability and continuity for the city’s ongoing initiatives and projects.

Karlinsey has served as Kenmore’s City Manager since April 2012, where his leadership helped advance a number of key projects and initiatives, including the development of downtown Kenmore at the former Kenmore Village site, the Target Zero pedestrian and bicycle safety program, Bus Rapid Transit (set to begin in 2028), the Walkways & Waterways bond measure, and the “For the Love of Kenmore” initiative.

Karlinsey will begin his new role in Moses Lake in April 2025, where he will oversee all aspects of city operations.

Kenmore operates under a council-manager form of government, where the city council appoints a city manager to serve as the chief executive of the city. The responsibilities of the city manager are set forth in the Revised Code of Washington.

The City of Kenmore will announce details regarding the process to hire a replacement in the coming weeks.

Source: City of Kenmore press release