With all the coming’s and going’s in California local government, it can be hard to keep track of where your friends are or what’s happening in your neighboring municipalities. But Trackdown Management helps keep the state up-to-date with their newsletter.

PublicCEO presents his Picking Up the Pieces:

Simi Valley Assistant City Manager Laura Behjan will serve as Interim City Manager when veteran City Manager Mike Sedell retires in July.

Stockton City Manager Bob Deis addressed a press conference to underscore the city’s desire to avoid bankruptcy explaining that the city will enter mediation with its largest creditors and try to negotiate a time frame for payment of city obligations.

Alan Christensen resigned his position as Wasco City Manager. Alan previously served as City Manager in Arvin and Hanford.

In the picturesque Delta town of Isleton, a community of about 850 residents, City Manager-City Attorney Dave Larsen, 61, has been terminated.

Lomita City Manager Dawn Tomita, 66, who became Lomita’s second city employee in July, 1964, retired May 1st. Dawn moved up in the city organization from secretary, and was Lomita’s longtime City Clerk until she was appointed City Manager, as well, in March, 2010. She worked for Lomita 47-years and 10-months.

PARS announced that Kevin O’Rourke has joined the PARS team to help design creative, flexible and effective retirement programs for California cities. Kevin, a past Regional Vice President on the ICMA Executive Board, is a former City Manager in Stanton, Buena Park, Fairfield and Interim City Manager in Stockton and Woodland.

San Leandro City Manager Chris Zapata has announced that David Baum is joining the San Leandro management team as Finance Director. David is the former Chief Financial Officer for the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, a position he held for some 20-years. Most recently he served as Interim Finance Director in Hercules. He is a Stanford University graduate.

Long-time municipal consultant and former City Manager Andy Lazzaretto notes that the new Arcadia City Manager Dominic D. Lazzaretto is an alumnus of Pennsylvania State University. Occasionally, we miss folks in some of our lists and we sincerely apologize for our oversight in our “Pennsylvania” issue.

James Stretch is the new City Manager in the City of Rio Dell starting June 4. The current City Manager Ron Henrickson will retire and is planning to move back to Minnesota to spend more time with his grandchildren. Rio Dell, in Humboldt County, incorporated in 1965.

Newport Beach City Manager Dave Kiff wants advance notice of any military “fly-overs” in his jurisdiction. Apparently local residents, including the Mayor and Dave himself, were “startled” by a fly-over at the Balboa Yacht Club memorial service for war hero John Francis (Jack) Callahan, who died at age 94.

Blythe City Manager Dave Lane served as the County Administrator in Centre County, Pennsylvania between 1997 and 1999; the home of Pennsylvania State University. Dave recalls attending a Penn State/Illinois football game with then-University President Graham Spanier and attending a pep rally breakfast that included football coach Joe Paterno. Like Hugh Riley of Moorpark, Dave is a big Nittany Lions football fan.

New Corning City Manager/Public Works Director John Brewer, the city’s former Public Works Director, has been given a waiver from the city’s requirement that its city manager live in the city. John has resided in Cottonwood since 2003.

James Mason, the Mercer Island, Washington Maintenance Director, is the new Assistant City Manager in Ventura. James was the Mercer Island Deputy City Manager, and was working on an 18-month duty rotation as the Maintenance Director.

Red Bluff City Manager/City Attorney Rick Crabtree is now the Human Resources Director too. In a cost-saving action, the city has eliminated the HR director’s position. HR Director Tessa Pritchard has an employment agreement that expires June 30.

Dana Point City Manager Doug Chotkevy discussed local tourism when he appeared at the Dana Point Civic Association’s April monthly meeting.

Ventura City Manager Rick Cole recently noted that the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has adopted a visionary Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy that will guide the Region through 2035. He points out that the $524 billion plan exceeds the tough new State standards for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Benicia City Manager Brad Kilger is the League of California Cities’ City Managers Department President-elect.

Sebastopol City Manager Jack Griffin, 48, has been hired as the new San Marcos City Manager. San Marcos retained the professional executive recruitment firm Bob Murray & Associates to aid them. City Manager Paul Malone, who replace City Manager Rick Gittings in 2006 when he retired after 24-years at the helm, is retiring and Deputy City Manager Lydia Romero will serve as Acting City Manager until Jack arrives from Sebastopol.

South Pasadena has formally appointed Sergio Gonzalez to serve as City Manager. He first came to the city in 2003 in the Community Services Department, and was promoted to Assistant City Manager in 2008. He has been serving as Interim since City Manager John Davidson left in October, 2011.

Bellflower Assistant City Manager Lee Mingle, who served as Interim City Manager when City Manager Mike Egan left to take the Norwalk City Manager post, joined the city staff in 1995 as Public Safety Coordinator.

Humboldt County CAO Phil Smith-Hanes attended the Transforming Local Government Conference, April 18-20 in Kansas City, Missouri. Western Regional Director for the Alliance for Innovation Pamela Muse was also at the conference.

Doug Williford, 54, a Sand Diego State graduate, is the new El Cajon City Manager. Doug began his career as a planning technician in El Cajon, and then worked with the City of Santee for 24-years. Doug was raised in the Bay Area. He is an avid photographer, snow skier, hiker, golfer, and a enthusiastic baseball fan. He pulls for both the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.

Retired City Manager Gene Albaugh of Nevada City, a USC alumnus and a Grass Valley resident, has battling Stage 4 gall bladder cancer for the past 5-months. As of April 24, 2012, Gene checked into the Hospice of the Foothills for incurable cancer patients. Chemo was offered, which might extend life a couple of month, but with severe side effects. Gene has elected to proceed with his best quality of life for the time he has left.

San Jose Assistant City Manager Edward Shikada was awarded the John H. Nail Memorial Award as the League of California Cities’ City Managers’ Department annual meeting in Indian Wells earlier this year.

Retired Pomona City Manager Doug Dunlap graduated from Lompoc High School where he played varsity football.