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:
We really try, but we always seem to leave out someone, and usually a long-time friend. In our CSULB issue this month we missed Wheatland City Manager Steve Wright. Steve previously served in City Manager assignments for Lynwood, Taft, Big Bear Lake and Truckee. He is a former ACM in Signal Hill.
City Manager Paul Cayler, who has served as the Willits City Manager since 2008, has stepped down. The city will be appointing an Interim City Manager to serve during the recruitment period for Paul’s replacement.
Torrance City Manager LeRoy Jackson, 68, has served 46-years in municipal government. He was appointed Torrance City Manager in 1983 after joining the city staff in 1966.
It was confirmed by City Manager Brian Nakamura that Chico Assistant City Manager John Rucker has unexpectedly retired. John worked for the City of Chico for about 25-years. Prior to his appointment to the Assistant City Manager post, John had served as a Captain with the Chico Police Department. He started as a Patrol Officer in 1988. He is an alumnus of Chico State University where he earned an MPA.
With long-time City Manager Julio Fuentes taking the Santa Clara City Manager assignment, Alhambra has promoted Director of Development Services Mary Swink to Interim City Manager. She is the first female City Manager in Alhambra’s 109-year history. Mary is expected to serve for six months and then be evaluated.
Laura Biery, Past President of MMASC and Economic Development Analyst in Santa Clarita has taken an Economic Development Analyst position with West Hollywood. Congratulations Laura!
Mammoth Lakes Assistant Town Manager Marianna Marysheva-Martinez began her career as an Analyst/Researcher for ABAG in Oakland in 1997. She then worked various positions in San Francisco and Oakland before she was appointed Assistant City Manager in Lynwood in 2005. Marianna returned to Oakland as Assistant City Administrator in 2008. She accepted the Interim Town Manager post in Mammoth Lakes in 2011, and has served as Assistant Town Manager since David G. Wilbrecht joined the staff as manager. Marianna is married to Redlands City Manager Nabar Enrique Martinez.
West Hollywood City Manager Paul Arevalo has announced that Sam Baxter is the new West Hollywood Assistant City Manager and that David Wilson will be the new Finance Director. Sam has been with the city since 1992, previously serving as the Director of Human Services and Stabilization. Former Assistant City Manager Joan English retired December 31, 2010, though she continued to serve in a part-time capacity. David Wilson became the Interim Director of Finance and Information Technology in April following the retirement of Anil Gandhy.
Morgan Hill City Manager for the past 13-years J. Edward Tewes, 61, resigned effective at the end of December, 2012. Ed is a Claremont McKenna College graduate, and he earned an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC).
Sebastopol’s long-serving City Attorney Larry McLaughlin, 66, has been appointed to the Sebastopol City Manager post. He has been serving as Interim City Manager since last May when City Manager Jack Griffin left the position to become the City Manager in San Marcos. He will serve in a duel position of City Manager and City Attorney. Larry has served as City Attorney in Sebastopol for the past 25-years.
New Temecula Interim City Manager Aaron Adams, 41, started in the City 17-years ago as an Administrative Intern. He was appointed to the top spot following the dismissals of City Manager Bob Johnson and Finance Director Genie Wilson. Former Temecula City Managers Ron Bradley and Shawn Nelson give Aaron high marks for his professional performance.
Frank Catania, 66, one of three Simi Valley Assistant City Managers, has retired after more than a decade with the city. Simi Valley City Manager Laura Behjan has decided to not fill Frank’s Assistant City Manager position, but instead appoint an Assistant to the City Manager, which has a lower pay grade.
Oxnard City Manager Ed Sotelo, who has been on paid administrative leave since January, 2012, has been advised that his employment agreement will not be renewed when it expires at the end of next month. Assistant City Manager Karen Burnham has been serving as the Interim City Manager. Ed was appointed to the Oxnard City Manager post in 1998.
Los Alamitos City Manager Angie Avery has announced her retirement effective March 1. Angie took the City Manager post when Los Alamitos City Manager Jeff Stewart left for the Bellflower City Manager position in January, 2012. Prior to that she served as the Los Alamitos Parks and Recreation Director. She held parks and recreation positions in Long Beach and Downey prior to joining the Los Alamitos staff.
San Bernardino Interim City Manager Andrea Travis-Miller, a former La Mirada City Manager, has accepted the Executive Director position for the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments. She practiced law with Manning & Kass in Los Angeles after leaving La Mirada in 2008. She joined the San Bernardino staff as the Assistant City Manager in June, 2011.
After having surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his chest, the analysis of the removed material shows negative for cancer cells. This means that recently retired Bellflower Parks & Recreation Director Rich Pierce will not need to undergo radiation or chemotherapy treatments. However, doctors are putting him on a program to super charge his immune system. Congratulations Rich!!
Former Cudahy City Manager Angel Perales was ordered by a Federal Court to serve 1,500 hours of community service; pay $5,000; and he was sentenced to 5-years of probation for his role in taking a $17,000 bribe from a businessman who wanted to open a medical marijuana dispensary.
San Rafael resident Garrett Toy, 51, who currently serves as the Administrative Services Manager for Marin County, has been appointed to be the next Town Manager in Fairfax. Former Town Manager Michael Rock is the new City Manager in Lomita. Garrett previously held positions in the Cities of Morgan Hill, Stockton and Fairfield.
With Monterey City Manager Fred Meurer planning to retire in the Summer of 2013, the recruitment of his successor is underway.
Hercules has sued former City Manager Nelson Oliva and his daughters Taylor Oliva, Gabrielle Oliva and Adrianna Oliva, and NEO Consulting Inc./Affordable Housing Solutions Group. The former City Manager filed a claim against the city for reneging on his employment agreement severance provisions. No report yet has said that the city is claiming that it did not received the value of the services NEO Consulting Inc. was retained to perform. The claim is that the former City Manager did not properly divest his ownership of the firm. The legal actions are proceeding in court.
Woodland City Manager Paul Navazio began his professional career as a Senior Financial Analyst for Hewlett Packard. He held positions in Oakland, Berkeley and Davis prior to his appointment in Woodland. He served two-years as a Fiscal and Policy Analyst with the State Legislative Analyst’s Office in Sacramento.
75-year old Bruce A. Altman, who served as City Manager in Newark, Brisbane, Simi Valley and in Palm Desert, where he currently lives. Bruce is an Arizona State University alumnus.
Diane Strickfaden is the new Assistant to the City Manager in Hermosa Beach working with City Manager Tom Bakaly. Diane has held position in the Cities of Lynwood, Lawndale, Azusa, Norwalk and El Monte. She was the Senior Human Resources Analysts in Lynwood. She earned an MPA at California State University, Long Beach.
Bob Murray & Associates is conducting City Manager recruitments for the Cities of Concord (closing January 25), and El Monte (closing February 15).
Former Chula Vista Assistant City Manager Sid Morris is currently the Director of Planning & Development for the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation in El Cajon.
Humboldt State University graduate Keith Till has served as Santee City Manager since October, 2000. He earned an MA from the University of Chicago.
Anna Louise Dewey (April 29, 1923 to December 20, 2011) was a tireless community worker and volunteer was put to rest in the El Cajon Cemetery on December, 30, 2011.
Menifee continues to move forward with its City Manager recruitment. City Manager Bill Rawlings left office, and Rob Johnson has been serving as the Acting Menifee City Manager for the past couple of months.
Trackdown is pleased to welcome its most recent newsletter Sponsor: Richards, Watson & Gershon. The firm has represented California cities and private and public entities since 1954. Greg Stepanicich of the firm serves as a member of the California City Management Foundation Board of Trustees. Special Trackdown “Thanks” go to Roxanne Diaz of Richards, Watson & Gershon. Roxanne is the City Attorney in the Cities of Hidden Hills and Indio. She is a California State University, Fullerton graduate, and earned her law degree at Hastings College of Law at the University of California, Berkeley.