Traverse City names Valarie Handy as next deputy city manager

Traverse City is placing Valarie Handy in a job that sits near the center of city government, with responsibility for the coordination behind budgeting, infrastructure work and day-to-day service delivery across city departments. Handy will begin as deputy city manager on Monday, July 13, succeeding Deborah Allen, who retired June 12.

The city said the search drew more than 100 applicants in a national recruitment, with about 20 moving into initial screening and three finalists advancing to interviews with City Manager Benjamin Marentette and an executive panel. In city hall terms, the deputy role is not a narrow staff post. The city describes the deputy city manager as a key member of the City Manager’s Executive Team, a trusted advisor and operational leader who helps guide complex municipal functions, lead cross-department initiatives and carry out the city manager’s vision and City Commission priorities.

Handy brings a background centered on public service, community investment, economic development and organizational leadership. Local bios identify her as a Certified Economic Developer and as USDA Rural Development’s deputy state director overseeing all program operations in Michigan. She also held leadership roles with USDA Rural Development that included acting head of a federal agency and deputy director overseeing roughly 80 employees.

Her ties to Traverse City run deeper than the new title. A Traverse Connect profile says Handy is a Traverse City native, born at Munson Medical Center, and educated at TC Central, NMC and Davenport University. That local connection gives the city a deputy manager who knows the region as well as the institution she is entering, at a time when officials are focused on regional collaboration and building a thriving year-round economy.

Marentette’s office is central to how the city works behind the scenes. The City Manager’s Office says the manager administers city departments, recommends and implements the annual budget and advises the commission. The city says Marentette brings more than 25 years in public service, including more than 13 years as city clerk, giving the office a long view of how Traverse City operates and where decisions can slow down or speed up.

The appointment came during a busy stretch in 2026 that also included a new fire chief, an East Side placemaking workshop, a Brown Bridge area property acquisition and budget work tied to a new strategic action plan. Handy is set to join City Hall as those decisions move from planning into execution.