University Of Washington Baseball

After 32 years, Dick Zais leaving Yakima on his own terms

YAKIMA, Wash. -- The reception area outside Dick Zais' City Hall office -- a plain, square-shaped room adorned with illustrations of Yakima landmarks -- is a testament to the passing of time. It's a place where average people and political figures alike have tapped their feet, eavesdropped, bit their tongues and watched others come and go.

The one constant in the Yakima city manager's office since 1979 is the man himself, Zais.

In the absence of a strong-mayor system, Zais, 61, has been the city's chief executive officer for more than a quarter of its 125-year history, and his reputation and influence as a leader reaches beyond the city limits. He's best known for coordinating the response to the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, which covered the city in thousands of tons of ash but was cleaned up in less than two weeks.

His office bookshelves are dominated by such titles as "The Year of Water Decisions '96," "City of Yakima Budget 1985" and "Sports Complex Project 4/24/01." It's hard to imagine a time when the Berkeley, Calif., native wasn't a part of Yakima's narrative. Then again, the bigger-than-life-sized Washington Husky doll taking up precious archive space in the corner gives away his time in Seattle earning degrees in urban planning and public administration.

Zais' active role in city government comes to an end Tuesday with his retirement, but his imprint on the office will remain. He goes out on his own terms, not in the grip of illness -- though pulmonary embolisms caused by blood clots threatened his life earlier this year -- and not under the fire of controversy. Though he's taken his bumps and bruises, he leaves without regrets.

The Yakima Herald-Republic sat down with Zais earlier last week to learn how he stayed in the city manager's office as long as he did and, more importantly, why.

The result provides insight into a man who possesses the discipline of a military upbringing and the patience of a loving father, a leader who values loyalty and is quick to recognize his family, friends and colleagues for the support they've given him over the years. He spent most of his professional life defining the expectations of his office. Now he reflects on his legacy.

YH-R: If anything speaks to your longevity in this position, it's probably the decades worth of budgets, development plans, policies and memoranda hoarded away in your office. Why do you personally hang on to so many outdated documents?