The San Jose City Council has appointed Ed Shikada as San Jose’s next City Manager.
Ed Shikada joined the City of San Jose in 2003 as a Deputy City Manager overseeing the City’s construction program and special projects, and has served as San Jose’s Assistant City Manager since June 2010. Shikada will assume his new position on December 21, 2013.
“Ed has been an essential part of our senior management team for years and has demonstrated his abilities during the most challenging times in the City of San Jose’s history,” said Mayor Chuck Reed. “We are fortunate that Ed is willing to step up and lead our City as we recover from very difficult fiscal circumstances and begin to restore services to our residents and pay to our employees.”
Prior to his tenure with the City of San Jose, Shikada served as the City of Long Beach Public Works Director, led the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Congestion Management Program, and was a transportation consultant for numerous public and private sector clients. He currently lives in the Willow Glen area of San Jose.
“The past decade with San Jose has been quite the journey of growth and contraction,” said Shikada. “With our community’s unwavering spirit of innovation and the opportunity for an improving economy, we must continuously work on providing progressive solutions for serving our public.”
Under San Jose’s City Charter, the City Manager serves as the City of San Jose’s chief administrative officer and reports directly to the City Council. The City Manager is responsible for administration of City affairs, day-to-day operations, and implementation of council policies. Shikada will oversee San Jose’s $2.9 billion annual budget, as well as direct and supervise the City’s 5,600 employee (full-time equivalent) workforce.
“I’m extremely pleased that the Mayor and City Council have selected Ed Shikada as the next city manager of San Jose,” said City Manager Debra Figone who is retiring in late December. “This is a win for both our community and for our workforce. As our assistant city manager, Ed knows San Jose’s challenges firsthand and also knows how our city is embracing change to ensure a safe, sustainable and vibrant community. He is a courageous leader and an effective manager with an entrepreneurial spirit, and I’m confident that Ed and our entire team will continue to accomplish great things for our city.”
“I am both grateful and humbled for this opportunity to lead San Jose’s dedicated and resilient employees,” added Shikada. “I’m confident that while we still have challenges ahead, we will focus on providing the highest quality services that we and our community partners can deliver.”
Shikada will sign a contract that is active until July 31, 2015 and will collect an annual salary of $250,000.
Mayor Red’s memo requesting the appointment of Shikada can be viewed here.