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:
Veteran Simi Valley City Manager Mike Sedell, 61, will retire effective July 6 to spend more time with his wife Judie, who is battling breast cancer. Mike began his career in Simi Valley in 1972 as an Intern from California State University, Northridge. Mike has earned an excellent reputation throughout California’s city management community as a highly professional public manager.
John L. Brewer is the new City Manager in Corning. In 1978 John was a Cartographer and Survey Party Chief for T.M. Wulfert-Land Surveyors. He has been the Corning Public Works Director since 2008.
South Lake Tahoe City Manager Tony O’Rourke is among the four finalist in the Medford, Oregon City Manager recruitment.
The late-Lyman H. Cozad, a long-time Arcadia City Manager, was the President of the City Managers’ Department of the League of California Cities in 1972-1973.
Banning City Manager Andy Takata was spotted in the stands at Angel Stadium watching the Angels shutout the Oakland “A’s” 6-0.
Livermore City Manager Marc Roberts, who took over from retired City Manager Linda Barton, started his career in 1986 as an Assistant Planner in Tiburon.
Former Hanford City Manager Hilary Straus and a group of his friends make an annual trek to Los Angeles to attend the LA Auto Show. Hilary is a “car guy!” Pyro Spectaculars, a Southern California-based fireworks display producer with offices in Oakland, has been retained by Milpitas to produce the city’s 2012 Fourth of July Fireworks Show. The local corporate community has stepped up to contribute at least $47,000 for the event. The Pyro Spectaculars contract is not to exceed $21,600.
Mammoth Lakes ACM and Interim City Manager Marianna Marysheva-Martinez is among the four finalists for the Yakima, Washington City Manager’s post. She has served as Assistant City Administrator in Oakland and an Assistant City Manager in Lynwood. Former Clayton City Manager Thomas Steele, most recently the City Manager in West Jordan, Utah, is also among the final four.
Brenda Bains is the new Dunsmuir Interim City Administrator in addition to her Chief Financial Officer duties. Brenda replaces City Administrator Jim Lindley, who left to be City Manager in Dixon.
La Puente has settled the lawsuit brought by former City Manager Josi Kenline for $300,000, which includes $160,000 severance pay stipulated in her employment agreement.
Foster City has sold a 15-acre parcel for $30 million to a retirement community developer, who will include some commercial shops. And, the city has sold an 11-acre parcel for $20 million to the North Peninsula Jewish Campus which is the home to the Peninsula Jewish Community Center and the Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School. Jim Hardy is the City Manager in Foster City.
New Monrovia City Manager Laurie Lile, 50, joined the Palmdale City staff in 1988. She was there as Palmdale grew from a City with less than 50,000 people to more than 152,000. Laurie served as principal planner, associate planner and assistant planner prior to being named Planning Director in 1998. She became Palmdale Assistant City Manager in 2006. Laurie holds a BA from the University of California, Davis and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District General Manager Ken Bayless is the President of the 2012 Board of Directors for the Mosquito & Vector Control Association of California. Ken is a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Chief, and he was the organizing President & CEO for Willdan Homeland Solutions.
Haddon Libby, former Senior Vice President and Director for the First Foundation Bank in Indian Wells is pursuing legal action against the city claiming violation of his civil and constitutional rights, political retaliation and conspiracy. He claims he lost his job as a result of critical comments he made at a city council meeting regarding former Indian Wells City Manager Greg Johnson‘s compensation and pension.
Tri-City Mental Health Services Chief Executive Officer Jesse H. Duff, a La Verne resident, served as the Duarte City Manager from 1986 to 2004 when he retired. Following retirement Jesse served as Interim City Manager in Claremont, Irwindale and as Interim Community Development Director in Rosemead. He earned an MPA from California State University, Long Beach.
Adelanto Deputy City Manager Aaron D. Palmer is a former Assistant City Manager in Patterson. Previous to that Aaron worked in Big Bear Lake, San Carlos and San Bernardino.
Former Orland City Manager Paul Poczobut was in the final three for the City Manager post in Mesquite, Arizona. However, New Castle, Colorado Town Manager Andrew M. Barton received the appointment.
Retired La Mirada City Manager Gary Sloan won the ASPA Los Angeles Metropolitan Chapter, Clarence A. Dykstra Award as Public Administrator of the year in 2000. La Mirada City Manager Tom Robinson is a Past President of the Rotary Club of La Mirada. He is a California State University, Long Beach alumnus.
Folsom Assistant City Manager Evert Palmer is an alumnus of the Golden Gate University Executive Master of Public Administration program.
New Burlington, Iowa City Manager James Ferneau, 44, began his career after graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1990 working two-years for a domestic Peace Corps program in California.
City Manager Andy Takata of the City of Banning. Andy is a former Olympic Games water polo referee. Next to Andy is Jamie M. Casso of the Meyers Nave law firm. In 2011, Jamie was selected by the Daily Journal as one of California’s “Top 25 Municipal Lawyers.” Among his current assignments, Jamie is the La Puente City Attorney.