Trackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 13, Issue No. 19

Trackdown ManagementFor 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. 

Gridley City Administrator Paul Eckert resigned after a recent arrest for driving under the influence on October 3. Paul served in the U.S. Marines from 1980 to 1983. He worked as an Administrative Assistant in Foster City (1987-1990) and Assistant to the City Manager in Santa Paula (1990-1992). He then served as the Director of Administrative Services in Paradise (1992-1995) and Finance Director in Morgan Hill (1995-1997). Paul then took the Assistant City Manager position in Sioux City, Iowa (1997-2002) before being appointed City Manager in Sioux City (2002-2013). He worked as the Gridley City Administrator from 2016 to 2019 before he left to work as the Hollister City Manager. He resigned the Hollister position after only eight-days, and he returned to Gridley. Paul earned an MPA from California State University, East Bay.

Sausalito City Manager Adam Politzer, 55, will retire in late December 2020. Adam has served as the Sausalito City Manager for the past 13-years, starting in 2007. Adam is not a member of ICMA. Adam’s tenure in Sausalito is the longest as City Manager in the City’s history. He began his public service career as a Recreation Leader in 1987 for Palo Alto. He was promoted to Recreation Service Manager in 1995. He joined the Sausalito city staff as the Parks and Recreation Director in 2000.

Fresno City Manager Wilma C. Quan, a former State of California Associate Transportation Planner, joined the city staff in Fresno in 2009 as an Urban Planning Specialist. Wilma was promoted to Deputy City Manager in 2014 and she became Assistant City Manager in 2016. Wilmas was appointed to the Fresno City Manager position in June 2017. Wilma earned a BS in health policy administration from Penn State University, and an MBA from California State University, Fresno. Wilma began her working experience in high school when she went to work for the Dairy Queen in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Former Cofax City Manager, John Schempf is the new Interim Town Manager in the Town of Mammoth Lakes. This Sierra Nevada Mountain Town has a population of 8,127. John spent a combined 28-years of service in the U. S. Navy and the U. S. Coast Guard. He served a number of east coast towns as manager. John earned a BA in economics, political science and geography, and a Master’s in strategic planning from Dartmouth College.

Claremont Finance Director Adam Pirrie is the Acting City Manager with the resignation of City Manager Tara Schultz at the end of October. Adam joined the Claremont city staff in 2003. He was appointed Director of Finance in 2011. Adam is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Angela Broaddus, a University of California, Davis graduate, worked for Vallejo (2018-2020) before joining the Fairfield city staff as Human Resources Manager in January 2020.

There are new rules in the City of Oakland that prohibit homeless people from setting up tents in parks and near homes, businesses, schools and some churches as the city copes with an increasing homeless population.

Herlinda Chico, Field Deputy for the 4th Supervisorial District of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, is a candidate for the Long Beach Community College Board.

The Association of California Cities, Orange County (ACC-OC) awarded the Cities of Placentia and Buena Park their “Hero for the Homeless Award” in recognition of establishing and operating Navigation Centers, which serve the homeless population in North Orange County cities.