Woodbury City Administrator Clint Gridley will retire next summer after serving the city for 21 years. “I think the thing that has made Woodbury so successful is that it just has a lot of integrity in government,” Gridley said. “I think in this day and age we’re looking for good government that is ethical and effective — and I hope that’s the legacy that I’ve left.” Woodbury City Administrator Clinton Gridley. (Courtesy of the City of Woodbury) Gridley, who is originally from Lake Bluff, Ill., has a long-standing history of civic community engagement, modeled by his parents. His father was involved in the military and the American Legion, and both of his parents were politically active in Illinois. Gridley referred to them as being like “political foot soldiers.” “They really provided me a great example of being involved in the community,” Gridley said. With more than 40 years of experience working with local governments, Gridley is set to retire from his current role on June 6. In his role as city administrator, Gridley has guided numerous projects and initiatives in the fast-growing Washington County community, such as the construction of a $400 million water treatment plant, the remodeling of the M Health Fairview Sports Center, the launching of Madison’s Place universally accessible playground and “maintaining a high level of city services,” according to the the biennial community survey and annual performance measurement program. Since Gridley took the job in 2004, there has been an increase of more than 6 million square feet of commercial property in the city. He said that when he began his tenure, Woodbury’s population was 50,000. It now exceeds 80,000. “What do you see with more mature communities?” Gridley asked. “You see greater attention to quality-of-life details.” Related Articles Local News | Tempers flare during first day of murder trial in Forest Lake hit-and-run case Local News | Comcast hooks up six more Minnesota cities with Internet services Local News | Cottage Grove garden center owner admits to tax crime Local News | Washington County to host open house on County Road 74 improvement project Local News | Driver shortage leads to headaches for Metro Mobility clients in east metro Before working in Woodbury, Gridley served as city administrator in Cedarburg, Wis., from 1992 to 2004. His previous experience included working as assistant to the Highland Park city manager in Illinois and as the assistant city manager in Miamisburg, Ohio. The Woodbury City Council will search for Gridley’s replacement. David Unmacht, who retired in 2023 as executive director of the League of Minnesota of Cities, will serve as a consultant to help the city with the process. One of the things Gridley said he loves about Woodbury is how intentional the community has been about making the city a place where all people feel they belong. He hopes that the next city administrator will care to nurture the maturity of the city, its sense of belonging and focus on improving the quality of life for its residents and visitors. “That’s what everybody wants, right? Belonging,” he said.