Published October 9 2023
Brad Miyake, Bellevue’s city manager since 2013 and a leader in the organization for 33 years, announced his retirement Monday, effective Friday, Dec. 1.
Prior to serving as city manager, Miyake was a deputy city manager and also served in positions ranging from utilities director to budget manager at the city. He worked for King County and the U.S. Government Accountability Office before joining Bellevue. He was raised in Seattle and is a University of Washington graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
“Brad has served the City of Bellevue with high standards, compassion, skill and an undeniable dedication to the people who live, work and visit this city,” said Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson. “The council, city staff and I have benefited greatly from his pragmatic counsel, knowledgeable guidance and forward-looking approaches to ensuring Bellevue remains a vibrant, resilient and solvent city that will attract our next generation of residents and businesses. He will be missed, but his influence will continue to play a role in the city’s future for years to come.”
During Miyake’s tenure, Bellevue evolved from a suburban bedroom community into a major employment center, retail hub and tourist destination in the Pacific Northwest. The city has worked to implement proactive growth policies, guided the implementation of light rail through Bellevue, improved the city’s multimodal transportation system, developed an affordable housing strategy and fostered a business-friendly reputation. Bellevue is known for its vibrant downtown, rich cultural diversity, excellent residential neighborhoods, burgeoning arts scene and beautiful parks.
Miyake said he feels the city is in a strong position, and he is taking the opportunity to leave it in good hands with exceptional leaders and staff members across the city. He looks to spend more time pursuing other interests.
“Bellevue is thriving today and I’m incredibly optimistic about its prospects for the future,” said Miyake. “I’m grateful to have had the chance to work with talented colleagues, councilmembers and key partners over the years who have all had the best interests of the Bellevue community at heart, which has been key to the city’s success. I’m looking forward to watching that success continue.”
Bellevue operates under a council-manager form of government where the City Council hires a city manager to run the operations of the city while the council provides the vision, policies and priorities for the city.
The council is expected to announce how they plan to succeed Miyake in the near future. Meanwhile, Miyake planned to share publicly his decision to retire at Monday's council meeting.