Joplin City Council accepted Sam Anselm's resignation Monday during a special council meeting.
Anselm led the city of Joplin as it rebuilt after a tornado in 2011 destroyed thousands of buildings and left 161 people dead.
Shaw said Anselm helped lead the city through the recovery “each step of the way.”
The council appointed Joplin Health Department director, Dan Pekarek, to serve as interim city manager, and Joplin mayor, Gary Shaw, is reassuring citizens that the city is “moving forward, and work will continue as usual.”
City Council plans to discuss the process of hiring a new city manager at an upcoming meeting.