The following is written by Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow:

This week, we said goodbye to Bill Pugh, who retired from the City of Sumner. You may know Mr. Pugh from his nine years serving as our public works director. You may also know him from his work with Rotary or from working in his yard in downtown Sumner. If you went to the Santa Parade the past two years, you may have even noticed that Santa looked and sounded a bit familiar.

But, did you know that Bill Pugh had quite an illustrious career before coming here? He worked most of his career in the City of Tacoma, eventually serving as public works director there and even assistant city manager. He was once named in a magazine as one of the top public works directors in the nation. And we were lucky enough to have him here in Sumner.

I believe if you asked Mr. Pugh, the feeling would be mutual. He thought he’d just fill in for a couple of years, do a job, and clean up a few projects for us. He stayed nine years and truly made Sumner his home. Why? For starters, he clicked with the rest of our staff, enjoying the same incredible work ethic and quirky sense of humor. Second, I believe he also fell in love with this community. You can see it in his interactions with staff, with businesses around town, and with individuals.

We want to thank Bill Pugh for his years in Sumner. I’d also like to thank you for making this such a special community that we can attract people who worked in much bigger cities, with even national recognition. You help make this a special place to serve, which in turn, helps us recruit the best people to serve you.