With all the comings and goings 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 Jack Simpson’s Picking Up the Pieces.

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Patterson City Manager Rod B. Butler submitted his resignation on August 6, 2014 after serving the city for three years. Brad previously worked in Pomona, Ontario, Claremont, and Chino, and is a former City Manager in Crescent City. He earned a BA from the University of California, Riverside, and an MPA from California State University, Long Beach. According to Patterson Human Resource Manager Danielle Tucci, Brad plans to relocate to Upland, where his family is located. He will officially vacate the Patterson City Manager post in late September.

Eric Figueroa has been appointed Assistant City Manager in San Ramon. Eric has worked with the League of California Cities for the past 8 and a half years. Eric served as the President of the Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC) in 2005 when he was serving as the Assistant to the City Manager in San Leandro.

East Palo Alto City Manager Magda Gonzalez has been appointed to the Half Moon Bay City Manager’s position. She will be taking over for Interim City Manager Stuart Schillinger, who is the Administrative Services Director in Brisbane and has been filling in to assist Half Moon Bay since the resignation of former City Manager Laura Snideman in March. Magda is an attorney and has worked for San Bruno, and Belmont prior to her East Palo Alto assignment.

El Paso, Texas Deputy City Manager Sean McGlynn has been selected to serve as the next Santa Rosa City Manager. Prior to his appointment to the Deputy City Manager post, Sean was the Director of the City of El Paso’s Museums and Cultural Affairs Department. Sean earned a Masters Degree in Theater from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a BA in history from the University of Pittsburgh.

Santa Monica City Manager Rod Gould, 57, a past- President of the City Managers’ Department of the League of California Cities (2004-2006), has announced that he plans to retired from his Santa Monica position at the end of January, 2015. Rod previously served as the City Manager in Monrovia, San Rafael, and Poway. Rod is also a former Assistant City Manager in Walnut Creek. He earned an MPA from Harvard University.

Former Selma Mayor Ken Grey is the new Selma City Manager. The Mayor resigned July 1. He will be taking over for Interim City Manager D-B Heusser. Selma City Clerk Reyna Rivera officiated at a swearing in ceremony officially making the former Mayor the new Selma City Manager. He submitted a letter of resignation to City Attorney Neal Costanzo resigning from the Selma City Council to avoid a conflict of interest. City Manager D-B Heusser retired effective July 1 after about 14-years in office. Ken and his wife Maria are recipients of the Fresno Arts Council’s Horizon Award. Prior to Ken’s election to the Selma City Council, they were local business owners.

Oscar de la Torre is engineering the political power to cause the termination of Santa Monica City Manager Rod Gould. Oscar runs the Pico Youth and Family Center, a nonprofit organization, and the city has been critical of the fiscal records keeping by the Center. Oscar is seeking re-election to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education. Rod, of course, has declined to comment. It has been said that this political move smacks of Chicago-style “Boss” politics, and misses the objectives of the Council-Manager Plan.

League of California Cities’ executive Kristine Guerrero’s baby arrived at 7:55 p.m. on July 10. Her name is Ruby Elyse Ramirez and she weighed in at 7 pounds and 15 ounces, and she was 21 inches long. Congratulations to Baby Elyse and her mother Kris.

Former Visalia City Manager Steve Salomon has been selected to serve as the Brentwood Interim City Manager replacing City Manager Paul Eldredge, who resigned recently resigned from the position. Steve previously served as City Manager in Watsonville, Hercules and Albany.

JoAnne Speers, who served as the Executive Director for the Institute for Local Government from January, 1998 until May, 2014, has taken an Adjunct Faculty position with the University of San Francisco, School of Management. She will be teaching in the School of Management’s Masters of Nonprofit Administration, and the Masters of Public Administration programs. Prior to taking the post with the Institute, JoAnne served as the General Counsel to the League of California Cities between 1989 and 2006. The Institute provides strategic direction to the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), and the League of California Cities research arm. JoAnne has earned a reputation as a very good wake-boarder.

City officials in Antioch have confirmed the death of Council Member Gary Agopian, who passed away following a battle with brain cancer. Steven A. Duran serves as the Antioch City Manager. The Council Member was elected in November, 2010 and announced his brain cancer diagnosis in September, 2013. Trackdown condolences go out to Gary’s family and friends and to the Antioch community.

Retired City Manager Glenn Southard, currently a principal with Southard Consulting, is a Founding member of the California City Management Foundation, and a CCMF past President. Glen retired from Indio in April, 2010. He previously served as the Claremont City Manager from June, 1988 until April, 2005.

Santa Rosa Assistant City Manager and Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Phillips is the new St. Helena City Manager. Jennifer was hired to the Santa Rosa ACM post in March, 2011. Prior to that she served as a Special Projects Manager for the Orange County CEO. She earned a BA and MPA from California State University, Long Beach.

City Manager Charles “Charlie” McClendon of Cathedral City has appointed Christopher Parman to the city’s Communication and Events Manager. Chris comes to Cathedral City from Copper Mountain College where he teaches Communication Studies. He previously worked on the staff of the 18th Assembly District. He earned a BA from Kansas State University and a Master’s from the University of Oklahoma.

Rancho Cucamonga City Manager John Gillison was appointed to the Board – Emergency Medical Care Committee (EMCC) for the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency in March of this year (2014). The EMCC annually reviews the ambulance services operating within the County of San Bernardino, reviews and comments on proposed EMS legislation, plans, protocols and policies to be adopted by ICEMA. John continues to serve as the Rancho Cucamonga City Manager. He has served in that post since August, 2011.

City Manager Dale Shaddox earned a MA in Public Administration in 1985 from California State University, Chico. He has served as City Manager in Yreka, Cotati and Hollister. He moved to Oregon in 2005 and served as City Manager in Brookings in 2005, and Phoenix, Oregon in 2007. He has also filled interim rolls in Oregon in Talent, Myrtle Creek and Gold Hill. He received a 30-year ICMA Service Award in 2006.

Long-time La Mirada Public Works Director Steve Forster, 49, is currently serving as the Business Development & Project Delivery Manager Vice President for APA Engineering, Inc. in Irvine. Steve was the La Mirada Public Works Director from 1997 until 2013, and worked with the City for 23-years.

Sacramento Business Journal Columnist Ed Goldman published a column on Elk Grove City Manager Laura Gill on July 15, 2014. Laura was appointed to the Elk Grove City Manager position in 2008. Previous to that she served as the Chief Administrative Officer for El Dorado County. Laura is a Kentucky native.

Jennifer Quan earned a BA from the University of California, Irvine and an MPP at the University of Southern California (USC). She has worked with the League of California Cities since December, 2001, and recently became the Executive Director of the League’s Los Angeles County Division. Jennifer’s hometown is Diamond Bar.

G. David Huntoon, a long-time Fellow with the Rose Institute of State & Local Government, and former Director of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation passed away after a long battle with melanoma. Dave is a past President of the Claremont McKenna College Alumni Association (1973-1974). He earned an MBA from the University of Southern California (USC) after graduating from Claremont McKenna College. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Huntoon Senior Teaching Award Endowment Fund at Claremont McKenna College, 400 North Claremont Boulevard, Claremont, California 97111 or online at www.cmc.edu/giving.

Retired Vista City Manager Rita Geldert, who served as the President of the CCMF Board, has endured 10 major medical procedures and is looking at a little more than a year in recovery starting from first operation in October, 2013. She is reportedly in good spirits. She is an amazing person. We join all of her friends and family to send her best wishes for a full recovery.

Former California City Manager Brad Baxter is currently serving in Iraq managing one of the largest Economic Development Projects in USAID history in that country. He is working with private sector investment developing job opportunities for Iraqi citizens. Working with more than 1,000 international firms the program has assisted developing job placement for more than 10,000 Iraqi citizens across the country. Brad continues to manage the project during the current security crisis in Iraq. Brad is a former City Manager in Rio Vista and Irwindale.

Piedmont City Administrator Paul Benoit is a former Astoria, Oregon City Manager. He replaced retiring Piedmont City Administrator Geoffrey Grote in earlier this year (2014). Paul was appointed to the Astoria City Manager post in December, 2005. He earned a BS in Marine Science and Environmental Management from the University of Rhode Island, and an MA from the University of Washington.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is the new President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors beginning in April. His term is scheduled to end in June, 2015. Mayor Johnson is a former NBA player. The Sacramento City Manager is John Shirey.

Millbrae City Manager Marcia Raines previously served as the City Manager in Martinez (1997-2000) and Half Moon Bay (2006-2009). Marcia served as the Environmental Services Director for San Mateo County between those two City Manager assignments. She was appointed Millbrae City Manager in 2009. Marcia started her public service career in 1974 as a Planner in West Covina. Marcia is a long-time member of the CCMF Board and has served on the Cal-ICMA Board since 2010.

Hawthorne City Manager Mike Goodson “un-retired” to accept the City Manager appointment in 2012 at the age of 64. Mike retired in 2004 after serving 17-years as the Hawthorne Planning Director. He joined the Hawthorne staff as a Housing Administrator in 1978 and was appointed Planning Director in 1986. Mike took over as City Manager from Interim City Manager Arnie Shadbehr, the City’s Public Works Director. Mike is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Hawthorne. Carol Martin retired as the City Manager for the City of Shasta Lake in November, 2012. She had been the City Manager since 2006 and was previously the Finance and Administrative Services Director for the city since 1997. Prior to working with Shasta Lake, Carol was the Finance Director for the Anderson. Carol earned a MBA from Chico State University. She currently holds the position as Financial Controller for Vigilant Canine Services International. When she left Shasta Lake she recommended that Assistant City Manager John Duckett be appointed City Manager. John has served as City Manager since December, 2012.

Former Washington and Sacramento lobbyist Tyrone D. Bland has joined Englander Knabe & Allen (EKA) as a Senior Vice President in charge of water and infrastructure. Tyrone is a Los Angeles native and an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Public Policy. He has served as a featured political and policy commentator on FOX News, KFI Talk Radio, MSNBC, and with the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. Englander Knabe & Allen is a strategic communications firm specializing in lobbying, public affairs and issues and crisis communications and litigation support.

Former Roseville Deputy City Manager Julia Burrows is currently serving as the Corporate Relations & Advancement Vice President for Enable Energy LLC with offices in Auburn. Founded in 2013, the company focuses on clean energy technology, project development, construction and consultative serves.