Human Rights and Human Services Director John Briehl will be retiring after 36 years of service with the City on Sept. 1.

Tacoma City Manager Eric Anderson announced that Merritt Long will be the interim Human Rights and Human Services director effective Aug. 23, 2010, while a nationwide recruitment process to fill the position permanently is underway.

Long has been a leader in both the public and private sector, including the director of the Washington State Human Rights Commission, on the State Board for Vocational Education and the Washington State Lottery, the chairman of the State Liquor Control Board and most recently a director of the UniBank of Lynnwood.