After six years on the job, David Moseley will trade his office in city hall for one in Seattle's Pioneer Square.

Federal Way's city manager, who took the reigns of the city government's highest legislative position in 1999, announced last month that he plans to steer his career in an entirely new direction. With 32 years of experience in public service-all in Washington state-and 14 years under his belt as a city manager in Ellensburg, Steilacoom, and Federal Way, Moseley gave notice that he plans to move on to a career with the Seattle-based Institute for Community Change.

"It's going to be very different," said Moseley who oversees a large staff of Federal Way employees and manages a city of 82,000. He'll join a small staff of eight in his new position with ICC.

"This new position is an opportunity for me to paint my brush in a little larger palette," Moseley said.

His new organization, Moseley said, serves as an "intermediary" between city governments, city programs and charitable foundations. "I'll be working on challenging problems in cities that don't function as well as Federal Way," he said.

Moseley and the ICC will help match foundations with nonprofit organizations that share similar goals, from helping troubled youth to alleviating affordable housing shortages in America's urban centers.

Moseley said he will take with him some of the memorable moments of a young city taking its first big steps.

"Bottom line, Federal Way is a city government that works," Moseley said, looking back on the six years and three months he logged as Federal Way's city manager. "Our council has diverse points of view, but they get along."

The manager remarked how rarely cities achieve the delicate balance of cooperation between council, staff and government agencies that seems to exist in Federal Way.

"You just don't see that in a lot of cities," Moseley said. "It's more difficult than the public realizes to get all of the complex pieces of government working together."

"We're all generally trying to move Federal Way in the same direction," he said.

Moseley said he could write a long list of memorable projects his office has undertaken.

He pointed to the statewide recognition that the city's police department has earned in its short existence.

"Our police department is thought of as a leading department in the state," Moseley said of the six-year-old program. From improved customer service between officers and the citizens of Federal Way, to the collaboration between the department and city government, Moseley said he looks back on the successes of the young Federal Way department as one of the highlights during his tenure as manager.

Moseley also noted the city's new community center and the council's plan for downtown revitalization as two heralding achievements in his career.

"I can guarantee you that other cities will look to replicate the community center," Moseley said from his corner office in city hall, just blocks from the site of the new multi-million-dollar building under construction. "Already we're getting inquiries about it." Moseley said he plans to return for the grand opening of the center next year.

The manager also hopes the city will maintain its commitment to refurbishing Federal Way's city center and promoting economic development.

"A viable downtown really is the economic future of Federal Way," Moseley said.

"Our economic growth has to go up, not out," added the city manager. "Our downtown needs to be more pedestrian friendly, more lively, more vibrant...rather than just strip malls and parking lots."

"And I just have to say that I had a hoot at Han Woo Ri," Moseley chuckled. He said he enjoys the fact that Federal Way remains as culturally diverse in its city government as it is in its neighborhoods.

"I thought it was great thing that the city would step up and try to something unique like Han Woo Ri," he said. "I hope they do it again."

With just weeks left in city hall, Moseley said he has begun thinking about the parts of the city manager's job that he will miss.

"I'm going to miss not being here to see downtown grow up," Moseley said.

The manager also leaves behind a staff and city council that has worked together for most of his career in Federal Way.

"My job is a people job," he added, "and I'm certainly going to miss the people here."

What does a city manager do?

"I refer to it as the 'I and I' responsibility," Moseley said. "Information and implementation."

A manager provides the city council with information about the issues it considers. Moseley said his office works diligently to give the city's elected officials "with the best, unbiased, analysis of an issue that we can."

Secondly, a city manager works to implement the decisions made by the council.

Moseley gave the city's decision to purchase Camp Kilworth as an example. The council charged Moseley's office with the task of determining the feasibility of buying the property, and his staff executed the research and presented their findings.

"Surrounding all of that, however, is the basic job of managing the operation of a city," the manager said.

His office balances the municipal budget, oversees the efficiency of city programs, manages public funds, and, until this year, appointed municipal judges to the bench.

"It's a behind-the-scenes job," Moseley said. "People who hold my position that are too outspoken aren't performing the role of city manager very well."

"Citizens elect their officials to conduct business," he added, "and the council hires me to make sure the decisions they make are well informed and implemented."

Moseley will maintain his post until the end of the year, when the city council hopes that Assistant City Manager Derek Matheson will take the reins until they can fill the position.

The city council voted last Monday to employ the help of a an executive search firm to assist Federal Way in hiring a new city manager, said Patrick Briggs, a representative from the manager's office. Briggs said the council has submitted a request asking headhunting firms to bid for the task of rounding up qualified candidates to replace Moseley. He also added that the council will likely limit its search for a new city manager to applicants in the Pacific Northwest.

What advice would the exiting city manager offer his replacement?

"Listen to the people you work with," Moseley offered. "You are just one player in the complex mosaic that is democracy."

"You can only achieve what you're able to work with other people to accomplish," he said.