CBJ Manager Rorie Watt Named 2022 AML Municipal Official of the Year

City and Borough of Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt has been named 2022 Municipal Official of the Year by the Alaska Municipal League. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated ongoing dedication to their municipalities and have gone above and beyond to make their communities great places to live, work, and play during 2022.

The award was announced today, December 8, at an awards luncheon during AML’s annual Local Government Conference in Anchorage.

“Rorie is one of those rare individuals [who] combine technical aptitude with the ability to relate to people where they are,” Mayor Beth Weldon said at the luncheon. “Juneau has been and continues to be fortunate to have such a long tenured professional who brings a breadth and depth of knowledge to the table that is… becoming increasingly rare.”

Mayor Weldon praised Watt in particular for his significant contributions in tourism management, citing a deep understanding of the complexities of the local environment and an ability to leverage this understanding to communal benefit.

“Local government is one of those things that creeps up on you and hooks you,” Watt said in his acceptance remarks. “We have to think about how we get people involved and incentivize them to join local government. What keeps us here is [that] it is fun and interesting and hard.”

Watt’s career with CBJ spans 29 years and a variety of roles, from seasonal technician to department director. His eight years at the helm of CBJ Engineering included management of the milestone transition to today’s combined Engineering and Public Works Department. He was named City Manager in April 2016.