Laurie Ahrens Could 'Meld Cold Hard Facts with Sensitivity and Kindness'

Plymouth City Manager Laurie Ahrens, who announced last week she will retire in July, "always raised the level of decorum," according to Edina City Manager Scott Aherns in a blog post at the City of Edina website:

When she wraps it up on July 12 she will be putting the finishing touches on a decade of service as city manager of Plymouth—a decade in which Plymouth was named the #1 Most Livable City in America by Money magazine.

I have always liked Laurie because she has a rare ability to meld cold hard facts with sensitivity and kindness.  She is insightful and intelligent, but never tries to dominate [a] room with her intellect.  It’s a rare gift to have these qualities. I’m not sure if Laurie even sees herself this way, but if you described those qualities to our city manager colleagues around the Twin Cities, they would know you were talking about Laurie [Ahrens]. No doubt about it.

Read the full blog post at edinamn.gov.

Related at Money:

• 2008 Best Places to Live: Plymouth, MN

Related at Patch:

• Plymouth City Manager Announces Retirement
• Council Looks At City Manager Pay Increase
• TONIGHT: Plymouth Council Evaluates City Manager
• Plymouth Recognized For Playground Donation to Poland