Trackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 13, Issue No. 14
For over 13 years, Jack Simpson’s Trackdown Management has published the City Manager Newsletter. Jack is a retired city manager and former Willdan executive. His newsletter content weaves together the personal side of the profession in California and helps keep the city manager community, especially retired city managers, connected with each other.
Torrance Assistant City Manager Aram Chaparyan will replace retiring City Manager LeRoy Jackson, 76, effective October 1. LeRoy has served as the Torrance City Manager for the past 37-years. Aram, 43, joined the Torrance city staff in 2001 as an Administrative Intern. He has progressively advanced in the city organization to be appointed Deputy City Manager in 2017, and Assistant City Manager shortly after that. Aram earned a BA in political science from the University of California, Irvine, and an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC).
Indio City Manager Mark Scott will retire effective August 15 after a 40-year career in municipal management. Mark also served as City Manager in Beverly Hills (1990-2003); Spartanburg, South Carolina (2002-2009); Culver City (2009-2010); Fresno (2010-2013); Burbank (2013-2016); and San Bernardino (2016-2017). Mark became the Indio City Manager in August 2017. He began his career as an Intern in Fresno and Clovis and held executive-level positions in Beverly Hills and Santa Clarita before becoming City Manager in Beverly Hills. Mark earned a BA from California State University, Fresno, and an MBA from Stanford University.
Roxanne Anguiano has served as a Human Resources Analyst in the City of Galt since September 2018. Before joining the Galt city staff, Roxanne worked as a Human Resource Personnel Technician for the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. Between August 2012 and December 2015 she served as a Human Resources Generalist in Elk Grove for McDonald’s. Roxanne earned a BA in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MS in human resources management and personnel administration from the University of Southern California (USC).
Sonoma City Manager Cathy Capriola, 55, is retiring after a 30-year municipal government career. Following retirement, she plans to work as a consultant on a part-time basis. She was appointed City Manager in Sonoma in 2017. She previously worked in Novato, Vacaville, Davis and Citrus Heights.
Buena Park City Manager James Vanderpool, 49, has been appointed to the Anaheim City Manager post. Deputy City Manager Greg Garcia has been serving as the Anaheim Interim City Manager since the resignation of City Manager Chris Zapata about three months ago. James has worked for the City of Buena Park for 25- years; the last 8-years as City Manager. It is anticipated that Buena Park Assistant City Manager Aaron France will serve as Interim City Manager until a replacement for James is selected. James began his public service career in July 1993 as an Administrative Intern in the City of Mission Viejo. He earned a BA in public administration from Purdue University.
Lorenzo Hines Jr. is the new Galt City Manager. He is scheduled to take office at the end of August. Lorenzo is currently the Assistant City Manager in the City of Pacifica. He previously served as Chief, Management Services Division for the California Secretary of State. He is a CPA and earned an MBA from the University of Washington and a BS in accounting from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. He is an ICMA Credentialed City Manager.
Marysville City Manager Marti Brown has resigned. Chief of Police Chris Sachs will serve as Interim City Manager. Marti was appointed City Manager in Marysville in March 2018. She previously served as Community Development Director in the City of Arvin. Between December 2009 and January 2014 Marti served as a member of the Vallejo City Council. Before that she held positions with Berkeley (2002-2005) and the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency (2005-2012). Marti earned an MA in geography from San Francisco State University.
A Kern County Grand Jury report recently released, states that the members of the City Council in the City of California City, habitually interfere in the daily operations of the city in violation of a local ordinance. City Manager Anna Linn says that the City has already implemented the Grand Jury’s recommendations and that their report did not fairly represent the City’s efforts. Susan P. Kennedy, who served as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Chief of Staff (2006-2011), is the founder and chairman of a San Francisco Bay Area business. Prior to serving in the Governor’s office, she was the Communications Director for United States Senator Dianne Feinstein (1994-1998), and a Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Chief of Staff in the office of Governor Gray Davis (1999-2003). She also was a Commissioner on the California Public Utilities Commission (2003-2006). Susan earned a BA from Saint Mary’s College of California.
La Verne continues to recruit for a new Fire Chief. Interim Fire Chief Devon Leonard resigned August 12. City Manager Bob Russi is authorized to appoint former Long Beach and Huntington Beach Fire Chief David Segura to assume the Interim Fire Chief role. There is sentiment in the department that the city go forward with service by the county Fire Department.
Ventura County Chief Deputy District Attorney Chuck Hughes penned a letter to the Oxnard Mayor warning the city to conform to the Brown Act. Apparently, City Manager Alex Nguyen spoke for nine and a half minutes about an item that was not on the City Council agenda. Though people in attendance address the matter, “Because the item was not on the agenda, the public was not notified the city would present a significant discussion of the issue,” wrote the Chief Deputy DA.
Torrance Finance Director Eric Tsao announced that he will retire in late October.
Westminster Acting City Manager Sherry Johnson reports that even if Westminster stays the course with its current 1% sales tax increase, the city will still be on a path to eventual bankruptcy.
Torrance Management Associate Katherin Wand earned a BA in English language and literature, and an MA from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Grand Terrace is one step closer to having a local Taco Bell, according to City Manager G. Harold Duffey.
Former Los Alamitos and La Puente City Manager Bret Plumlee, currently an HdL Companies executive, recently moved his residence to a “north” Seal Beach neighborhood.
Retired City Manager Gregory Korduner and his wife Karen, a teacher with the Downey Unified School District, are completing a road trip that extended north to Medford and Brookings, Oregon and included a stops in Monterey and the Embassy Suites in Old Town Sacramento.
Dwight Kroll, who served as the Clovis City Planner for 39-years, officially retired in July 2020.
Santa Barbara Finance Director Robert Samario announced his retirement in February, after 24-years; serving as Finance Director since July 2010.
With a BA from Penn State University and an MPA from DePaul University, Dominique Albrecht joined the city staff in Coronado in 2016 and was promoted to Assistant to the City Manager in February 2019.
Alisha Farnell is the City Clerk in the City of Cypress, and previously held administrative positions in La Habra (2002-2004) and Paramount (2004-2006).
Since August 2003, Maureen Bufton Landwehr has Soutserved as a Recreation Program Coordinator for the Town of Windsor.
Olivia Lemen has served as the Town of Windsor Parks and Facilities Manager since October 2019, and she previously served as Recreation Manager in the City of Calistoga (2009- 2014).
It appears that retired Westlake Village City Manager Ray Taylor has kept busy since pulling the plug pursuing consulting assignments.
Sonoma State Univerity graduate Julé Taylor, has worked for the Town of Windsor for 15-years, and as a Management Analyst since April 2016.