Retirement doesn’t slow Lifetime Achievement winner

Perhaps someone forgot to tell him that.

He’s still working at least 20 hours a week for the city, consulting with new City Manager Bob Cumley on issues related to economic development and downtown revitalization.

“Mayor (Tom Carlson) asked me what I was going to do after I retired, and I said I was going to keep working,” Finnie said, adding that he hadn’t yet decided where he would work.

Finnie said Carlson offered a suggestion: stay on and work with Cumley, especially since, as the mayor put it, Finnie was “pretty old to be learning a new trade.”

“And the more I thought about it,” Finnie said, “the more it sounded like a good idea.”

Carlson said it was only fitting that Finnie continue to help the city he had worked so hard to improve.

“Tom and Bob had worked together very successfully for 16 years,” Carlson said, “and there was so much momentum that they had built up, in center-city development especially, that we thought if Tom could just focus on that and Bob would take over his duties as city manager, we could get a two-fer.”

That dedication and commitment is part of the reason Finnie was selected as this year’s Springfield Business Journal Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

During his tenure with Springfield city government, Finnie oversaw an explosion of growth: the rebirth of downtown; the creations of the Small Business Development Loan program and the Springfield Finance and Development Corp.; the genesis of the Vision 20/20 long-range plan; the development of two Partnership Industrial Centers; and the opening of Jordan Valley Park, including the car park, Springfield Exposition Center and Hammons Field.

The city’s footprint has grown by 15 percent since Finnie took the reins, it’s operating budget has more than tripled, and Springfield has turned into the state’s “economic engine,” according to the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Because he isn’t an entrepreneur, Finnie said he was initially surprised to learn that he had been chosen to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from a business journal. But given the impact of government decisions on the economy, he understands the logic.

“So much of a community’s success is dependent on economic development creating good-paying jobs,” Finnie said. “It has tremendous impact on quality of life, on individuals and on their families. A strong economy with good-paying jobs means that communities are taking care of themselves and not relying on the city government.”

Finnie’s role in the strength of the local economy has been recognized by the city, which renamed the city government plaza in his honor in April to coincide with his last days as city manager. The Thomas W. Finnie City Government Plaza comprises nine buildings including historic City Hall, the Busch Building and Springfield Police Department headquarters.

Mayor Carlson said there is no one more deserving of the honor.

“The imprint Tom is leaving on our community will be a lasting one, and I think through his efforts he brought the city to a new level,” Carlson said.

Finnie said he was honored by the gesture, but he prefers to let the city’s accomplishments speak for themselves.

And as for his “retirement?”

“I had not anticipated working for the city after I retired, but I’m enjoying it,” Finnie said.

A legacy of growth

During his tenure as Springfield city manager, Tom Finnie was instrumental in several aspects of growth:

City operating budget

1990: $73.4 million

2005: $238.3 million

Capital improvement budget

1990: $15.3 million

2004: $95.2 million

City employees (full-time equivalent)

1990: 1,200

2005: 1,609

Parks facilities

1990: 43

2005: 88

City area

1990: 69 square miles

2005: 80 square miles

Source: City of Springfield