Whittier City Manager Steve Helvey, 59, is retiring at the end of June and will stay on with the City in a part-time City Manager capacity, bringing the City some significant salary savings.
Visalia Unified School District official Randy Groom, a former Vista Deputy City Manager, is the new Exeter City Administrator.
Petaluma City Manager John Brown will be looking for an Economic Development Manager to attract business opportunities into Petaluma to help improve the local economy.
Former Murrieta City Manager Steve Harding, an executive with the Kosmont Companies, is the new Interim City Manager in Menifee. Steve succeeds George Wentz, who was the City’s first City Manager, and left the position in May. Steve also is an adjunct professor in the Master of Public Administration program at the University of La Verne. Menifee‘s Building Official Tony Elmo has served as Acting City Manager since George Wentz left office. MMANC (2008) Past President Matt Bronson, Assistant to the County Administrator in Marin County, is the new Assistant City Manager in San Mateo with City Manager Susan Loftus. Matt started in San Mateo on May 24, 2010.
Retired Bishop City Administrator Rick Pucci has been elected to the Inyo County Board of Supervisors. Rick worked in La Mirada and Temple City prior to moving to the Sierras.
Paul Hogan, a former member of the Hawaiian Gardens and Lomita management teams, and a former executive with MuniFinancial (Willdan Financial Services), has “shifted gears” and become a long haul truck driver working for a company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Paul says that he has been to 47 of the 48 contiguous States, while he has racked up more than 500,000 miles. He is currently recuperating from knee surgery for a torn meniscus.
Former city executive Julie B. Goode, who pursued the investment banking industry, is currently recuperating from a broken shoulder.
Retired SCAG executive and former Avalon City Manager Charlie Wagner is currently serving as Avalon‘s Chief Administrative Officer as a part-time member of City Manager/Fire Chief Steve Hoefs management team.
Mountain View Assistant City Manager Nadine Levin is retiring at age 60. She served in her current post for some 20-years, with prior service in Long Beach, San Francisco, Los Gatos, and with the Ernst Young and Company. She served in Interim Manager roles in both Los Gatos and Mountain View. City Manager Kevin Duggan praises Nadine’s service. Next she plans to pursue her dream of performing improvisational comedy at Second City in Chicago.
Mark Niuami, former Fontana Mayor, it the new City Manager in Yucca Valley.
Casey Sparks Kaneko, former Chief Consultant to the Assembly Local Government Committee and long-time Executive Director for the Urban Counties Caucus, is now associated with Suter, Wallauch, Corbett and Associates in Sacramento. The UCC Executive Director is now Jolena L. Voorhis.
Sutter Creek City Manager/Police Chief Robert Duke is negotiating an employment agreement to become the Chief of Police in Huron, where Jerry Forde is the City Manager.
Longtime Tustin City Manager William Huston will retire in July after nearly 30-years in the Tustin City Manager post. He is a Formula 1 auto racing fan.
Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach are merging their Fire Departments with the Oceano Community Services District’s fire department to form the “Five Cities Fire Authority” effective July 9. Mike Hubert will be the Fire Chief for the new authority. Arroyo Grande‘s City Manager is Steven Adams, and the Grover BeachRobert Perrault. City Manager is
San Jose City Manager Debra Figone has announced the appointment of William “Willie” McDonald, 52, to be the next San Jose Fire Chief. During the past 17-years, “Chief Willie” previously served as Fire Chief in San Mateo, Foster CityFremont, as wells as in Scottsdale, Arizona. He takes over for Chief Darryl Von Raesfeld, who is retiring after 33-years of fire service. and
In the “Small World” category: Huntington Park City Manager Greg Korduner has a cousin named David Korduner, who is a General Counsel to the Screen Directors Guild. David’s young son Noah Korduner plays tournament baseball on a team with 6-year old Matthew Weiss, who is the son of public agency attorney Roxanne Diaz, who represents the Huntington Park RDA. David is Greg’s Uncle Hal Korduner‘s son. Hal is a retired medical doctor who lives in San Clemente.
The following listing of items/events/facts/issues was originally distributed in a June, 2010 Issue of the City Manager Newsletter by Trackdown. The newsletter is authored by former City Manager Jack A. Simpson. You may see the entire newsletter and all back issues without cost at the Trackdown Management Services web site: www.trackdownmanagement.net
Retired City Manager Charles G. Gomez, passed away on May 29, 2010 at the age of 80. Charles started his career as an Assistant Planning Director in Torrance in 1973. In 1980 Charles became the Assistant City Manager/Director of Community Development in Lynwood, and in 1981 he was appointed Lynwood City Manager. After leaving Lynwood in 1991, he spent a little more than a year in the private sector, before going to work in Norwalk as the Director of Social Services. In March, 1993 Charles was selected to be the Bell Gardens City Manager, and in 1995 Charles was appointed Interim City Administrator in Hawaiian Gardens. Charles earned a BA and two Masters Degrees from the University of California. Al Warot of Willdan was a long-time and close personal friend to Charles, as were many others.