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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Canyon Lake City Manager Keith Breskin has been placed on administrative leave and City Clerk Ariel Hall is the Acting City Manager. After City Manager Lori Moss was dismissed in 2012, retired City Manager Richard Rowe served as Interim City Manager for a time, and when he left then-City Clerk Deborah Harrington stepped up to serve as Acting City Manager until Keith was appointed in February, 2014. April, a former Assistant City Clerk in Eastvale, was appointed City Clerk when Debbie retired last April.
Jackie Acosta, who served as the City of Carson‘s Director of Finance for many years, and was appointed Interim City Manager in Carson in 2013, was recently appointed Director of Administrative Services in the City of South Gate. Jackie, who lives in Lomita, attended Loyola Marymount University. Sabrina Landreth has been named City Administrator in the City of Oakland. Sabrina is currently the Emeryville City Manager. She previously served as a Deputy City Manager in Oakland. Sabrina earned a BS in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a MPP from the University of California, Berkeley.
Riverside has selected Alameda City Manager John Russo to be its next chief executive, taking over from Interim City Manager Lee McDougal. Prior to joining the Alameda staff, John served as the elected City Attorney in Oakland. While with Oakland, John was elected President of the League of California Cities in 2002.
Debra Van Zant Henderson has retired after 25-years with the City of Santa Clarita. She and her husband are relocating to Idaho. She worked for the Cities of Hawaiian Gardens, Huntington Park and Bellflower in addition to her long tenure in Santa Clarita. Trackdown best wishes to Debra on her well-earned retirement after more than a 30-year PERS career.
Frank Luckino has been appointed to serve as the new City Manager for the City of Twentynine Palms. Frank previously served as the City Manager in the City of Blythe. He has also served on the Town Council in Yucca Valley. He will take over from Acting City Manager Larry Bowden on March 23.
Pleasanton Community Development Director Brian Dolan has been appointed Assistant City Manager succeeding Assistant City Manager Steve Bocian, who will retire March 27. Brian has served in his current position with Pleasanton for the past 7-years. Previously Brian served as the Director of Development Services for the City of Vallejo. Pleasanton City Manager Nelson Fialho announced the staff change.
Dan Meinert has been selected to serve as the Interim City Manager in Dinuba. He is not interested in the permanent appointment. Dan worked for Dinuba from 1990 to 2010 as Public Works Director, Community Development Director, and Deputy City Manager-Development Services. Jayne Anderson is serving as Acting City Manager. Retired Wasco City Manager Larry Pennell was the number one candidate for the interim post, but decided not to accept the post. Former Dinuba City Manager Beth Nunes died in office in October, 2014.
Oceanside City Manager Steven R. Jepsen has agreed to retire following the surfacing of philosophical differences with the Mayor. Steve retires from a 35-year career in public service. Steve started his career in 1975 as an Engineering Technician with Lincoln, Nebraska. His first California local government position was Director of Transportation for the City of Concord in 1988. He served as the Oceanside City Manager from 2000 to 2006, and the City Manager in Yuba City from 2006 to 2013, when he returned to Oceanside. Steve earned a BS, MSCE and MCRP from the University of Nebraska.
Fairfax is addressing an on street crowded parking issue. “It’s like toothpaste,” Fairfax City Manager Garrett Toy said. “If you block parking in one place, it flows out to another place.”
Colton Community Services Director William “Bill” Smith has been appointed to serve as the next Colton City Manager. He replaces Interim City Manager Josefina “Josi” Mendez Kenline, who has been serving due to the departure of former City Manager Steve Compton. Bill has more than 30- years of local government experience. He joined the Colton staff about 14-years ago.
Ukiah City Manager Jane Chambers will resign in June after serving the city for about 7-years. Jane’s husband Michael is working for a San Francisco architecture firm, and their daughter, also an architect, lives and works in the Bay Area, as well. Reportedly, the family still owns a home in Daly City.
Commerce Parks and Recreation Director Scott Wasserman has been selected to serve as the Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Director. Scott Dad Lauren is a retired City Manager. Scott began his public service career with the City of Pico Rivera in 2000, and work there until February, 2006 when he joined the Santa Monica staff as a Human Services Administrator. Scott came to Commerce in 2008 as an Assistant Parks and Recreation Director, and became the Director in 2011.
San Jacinto Assistant City Manager Mike Emberton, 52, will retire in April. He joined the San Jacinto staff in 2005 and was promoted to ACM in July, 2012. Previously Mike served as the Director of Public Works in Escondido.
Upland Administrative Services Director Stephanie Mendenhall will retire effective July 31. Upland City Manager Rod Butler has received approval to reclassify her position to a Deputy City Manager post, for which the city is now recruiting. The Upland Deputy City Manager post is structured to assume the responsibilities of the City Clerk, and the Administrative Services Director. The Assistant City Manager position was previously eliminated when Rod Foster left Upland to become the Colton City Manager.
Yakima, Washington City Manager Tony O’Rourke, a former South Lake Tahoe City Manager, is a final candidate for the Sedona, Arizona City Manager position. Tony was appointed to the Yakima City Manager post in 2012, succeeding City Manager Don Cooper, who relocated to Florida to care for his ailing wife. Tony took the South Lake Tahoe post in 2010. He is a University of California, Santa Barbara graduate.