Albert Lea City Manager Chad Adams announced Tuesday he will be leaving his position to serve as the CEO of the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership.

“It has been my pleasure to serve as city manager for the community of Albert Lea,” Adams said in a press release. “I’ve appreciated the opportunity to advance the city and achieve the goals that the City Council set throughout the past eight years.”

The Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership is a community development corporation that serves communities throughout southwest and south central Minnesota.

Adams said he was attracted to the position based on the organization’s strong reputation and history of accomplishing projects primarily in the housing sector, though it has also been successful in integrating innovative solutions in communities throughout Greater Minnesota.

He said it has helped revitalize housing and community development in downtowns, which he is passionate about, and is working on a project in Mankato that will incorporate a child care facility.

“In short, I believe this opportunity will allow me to meet a much broader set of needs (i.e. housing, child care, environmental sustainability and many more things) throughout the 27 county region they serve,” Adams said.

Some of the goals Adams highlighted that were achieved during his time in Albert Lea were the revitalization of downtown, growing the tax base and eight years of budgets without an operating levy increase. He also worked to spur economic development through innovative housing initiatives and business assistance programs to grow jobs with local businesses.

During his tenure, the city was recognized by the community as a better place to live, according to Citizen Survey responses from 2012 to 2018. The city also became a safer place to work for employees, the release stated, citing the construction of the new airport and public works building, as well as the forthcoming fire station as examples.

Adams also continued to promote and implement designs from the nationally recognized Blue Zones Project.

“Chad has done great things for us as a community, and he has moved us forward in many ways,” said Albert Lea Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr.

The mayor said he is excited for Adams in his new opportunity, though he is disappointed Adams will no longer be with the city.

“But we always look at everything as opportunities,” Rasmussen said. “Moving forward, we’ll continue to look at other options, and we’ll be just fine as a community.”

The mayor noted he had just found out about the news Tuesday morning and may call a special meeting of the council to discuss how to move forward in finding a new city manager.

Adams said he will be moving temporarily to the Slayton area and hopes to make a decision about a permanent place for him to live after about a month on the job.

The organization also has an office in Mankato, though most of the employees are based out of Slayton.

His last day with the city of Albert Lea will be June 4.