Published May 8 2013
The City of Bellevue announced today it has hired Kerry Sievers to replace retiring Human Resources Director Yvonne Tate. Sievers is the current HR director for the City of Redmond.
"Kerry brings to Bellevue tremendous expertise and knowledge of human resources best practices and innovations. We are thrilled to have her join our team," said Brad Miyake, current Bellevue deputy city manager and incoming acting city manager. "The city has benefited from Yvonne's leadership over the past 12 years, and we thank her for her dedication and commitment to making Bellevue one of the nation's best cities."
Prior to her 11-year tenure with Redmond, Sievers was the head of HR for the City of SeaTac. She also held key HR positions with King County and with the City of Bellingham. Her professional accomplishments at Redmond include:
- Leading the design and implementation of training and organizational development programs in support of cultural change initiatives;
- Developing and leading teams of managers and employees in the design and implementation of specialized programs in areas such as performance management, supervisory skills and workforce safety; and
- Acting as chief spokesperson in collective bargaining with labor groups.
Sievers will lead a team of HR professionals responsible for staffing, employee relations, training and organizational development, compensation and benefits, and labor relations. She also will serve on the city's Leadership Team. Sievers' first day on the job will be June 17.
Tate, who retires in February 2014, will assist Sievers with the transition and will continue to work on projects with the City Manager's Office. Under her leadership, Tate helped the city reduce health-care costs, add domestic partner benefits and develop good relationships with unions. Prior to coming on board as a staff member, she was a 20-year volunteer for the city, serving on various boards and commissions.
Sievers has a master's degree in public administration and bachelor's degree from the University of Washington. She and her husband have lived in Bellevue for 17 years. Their son, now in college, graduated from Sammamish High School.