Heidi Behrends Cerniwey, MPA, ICMA-CM
Heidi has served as Ellensburg’s City Manager since May 2021. She has nineteen years of experience in local government, including two rapidly growing full-service cities in Washington—Tumwater (2012-2021) and Lacey (2006-2012)—with prior experience in private and nonprofit leadership. Heidi grew up in a small town in Southwest Minnesota. She attended the University of Minnesota and holds a B.A. from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN, an MPA from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, and completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School, in Cambridge, MA. She is a Credentialed Manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and serves on the board of the Washington Chapter (WCCMA). Heidi is committed to maintaining a well-managed city, a strong team that delivers high-quality public services and resilient infrastructure systems, and building successful community partnerships to address the complex challenges that face the Ellensburg community.