The city of Sedona loses its encyclopedia Friday, Aug. 3, when Director of Community Development Marie Brown retires.

The city of Sedona loses its encyclopedia Friday, Aug. 3, when Director of Community Development Marie Brown retires.

Brown, the very first employee hired by the city, is full of Sedona facts and has served as an information center for those involved in city operations.

On Friday, city staff waves good-bye to Brown when she leaves after helping build Sedona.

Brown started working for the city in February 1988, one month after the city incorporated. She was the first city clerk and later promoted to director of community services, the post from which she’ll retire.

“Marie [Brown] is very knowledgeable,” Dale Starr, a Parks and Recreation Commissioner, said. Brown supervised the commission from the staff level. When Starr joined the commission in January 2007, he said Brown gave him and another new commissioner a thorough briefing and has been available to answer any questions since.

Mayor Pud Colquitt also attributes her mayoral achievements to Brown.

“She’s helped me become the mayor,” Colquitt said.

When Sedona residents elected Colquitt, she didn’t have any previous experience as mayor. Colquitt said she relied on Brown to help her out.

“Her wealth of knowledge is unbelievable,” Colquitt said.

Along with Brown’s expertise, Colquitt said she also possesses a willingness to help others and answer questions.

“I treasure her council very, very much,” Colquitt said. Brown tells people what she thinks, understands Sedona and is involved in the community.

“She’s kind of like the heart of the city,” Colquitt said.

The city’s heart arrived in June 1987 from New York City with her husband. They’ve owned property in Sedona since 1977.

“When I first came here we weren’t incorporated. I got to vote for incorporation,” Brown said.

Brown joked she voted in favor so she would have a job — a job she hadn’t planned on looking for when she moved

to Sedona.

 According to Brown, she and her husband planned to retire in Sedona but quickly realized they needed to work to keep up with Sedona’s pricey cost of living.

Brown’s first task as a city employee was writing letters to all the applicants who didn’t get the job. While leafing through applications, she became amazed the city hired her, Brown said. She didn’t have any experience in city government while many of the other applicants did.

After giving the opportunity to mold a city despite lack of experience, Brown accomplished numerous feats.

Brown helped the city elect its first City Council and form a planning and zoning commission. Later, Brown developed community involvement projects and most recently organized community events, including city celebrations for Easter, Memorial Day and Christmas.

Brown’s philosophy is focus on service to the community while enjoying it as well.

“Have fun with it,” Brown said. “Sometimes we get so serious about something we lose sight of the joy.”

Brown said he always says if something isn’t fun she’s leaving, which, Brown added, isn’t why she’s leaving the city.

The city is sad to see Brown go, according to Colquitt.

“She’s not replaceable,” Colquitt said.

Brown’s departure from official city employment doesn’t mean she won’t be around. Brown already joined the parks and recreation commission’s Sedona Volunteer Park Rangers and said she has no idea what else the future holds.

“I’ve always just been open to possibility and it’s

amazing what those possibilities can be,” Brown said. “I’ll

find something I’ll have fun with.”