After more than seven years with the city of Milwaukie, Community Development Director Kenny Asher will step down Dec. 18 to take a similar position with the city of Tigard on Jan 1.

“Tigard is more than twice the size of Milwaukie and presents an opportunity to explore new challenges in a Washington County community,” Asher said. “I leave Milwaukie with the satisfaction of knowing that it is well positioned for future investment, and that projects, plans, codes and infrastructure are in place to support the kind of development that Milwaukians will be proud of.”

In his time with Milwaukie, Asher orchestrated the city’s massive involvement with the Portland-to-Milwaukie light-rail project, secured a $1.2 million ODOT grant to complete the Kellogg Bike/Ped Bridge over Kellogg Lake, started a city-staff community garden that donated harvests to local food kitchens, created the Street Surface Maintenance Program to pave Milwaukie’s busiest streets, oversaw the adoption of the city’s first public works standards, completed a $4 million sewer extension project, oversaw the creation of the city’s South Downtown vision and led the effort to restore fish passage at the mouth of Kellogg Lake.

Before leaving the city, Asher will focus on developing a transition plan that ensures continuity of work within the community development, engineering and planning departments.