Trackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 13, Issue No. 20
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.
Chico Assistant City Manager Chris Constantin will leave his post at the end of the year to become the new City Manager in the City of San Dimas. Chris started in Chico in 2013, serving as Finance Director, Human Resources Director and Information Technology Director, before becoming the Assistant City Manager in December 2018. Chris began his public services career in 2001 as an auditor for the City of San Jose. In 2010, Chris took an Assistant City Auditor position with the City of San Diego. In April 2013 he joined the Chico city staff. Chris earned a BS from San Jose State University, and an MPA from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. Chris is a Certified Economic Crime Forensic Examiner. Assistant City Manager Brad McKinney has been serving as Acting City Manager in San Dimas.
Dan Paranick, District Manager for the Rancho Simi Recreation & Park District is a former Assistant City Manager in Ventura. Dan began his public service career as a Management and Budget Analyst for Maricopa County, Arizona in 1997. After rising in the organization to Budget Coordinator in 2000, Dan joined the City of Simi Valley staff in 2001 at the Assistant to the City Manager. In 2004 Dan was appointed Deputy City Manager, and after serving as Acting Director of Administrative Services in 2005, he was appointed Assistant City Manager in 2006. In 2011 Dan took the Assistant City Manager position in the City of Camarillo (2011-2014), and he joined the Ventura city staff as Assistant City Manager in 2014. Dan earned a BA and MPA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 2017 Dan received a 20-year ICMA Service Award.
Kathleen Salguero Trepa is the new City Manager in the City of Winters. After a national recruitment conducted by executive recruiters of Peckham & McKenney, Kathleen was selected from 112 applicants from more than 20-States. Kathleen is replacing City Manager John Donlevy, who served in Winters for nearly 19-years and resigned to accept the City Manager position in the City of Auburn. Kathleen most recently served as the Assistant City Manager with the City of Concord, and previously served in positions with the cities of Goleta, Claremont, San Marcos, and San Juan Capistrano.
Retired San Bernardino City Manager Charles E. McNeely, served as the Seaside City Manager for ten-years (1983-1993), and as City Manager in Reno, Nevada (1996-2009). Charles began his public service career in 1972 as an Administrative Intern in San Diego. Charles earned a BA and MPA from the University of Kansas. In 2011, Charles was awarded a 35-year ICMA Service Award.
Palmdale City Manager John “J.J.” Murphy has been named by the Internation City/County Management Association (ICMA) as a recipient of its annual Veterans Recognition Award. This award acknowledges high-performance veterans working in local government. J.J. served in the U. S. Air Force Reserves for 20-years, leaving the service as a Major. In 2016 he was named the New Mexico City Manager of the Year during the time he served as City Manager in Hobbs, New Mexico (2012-2017).
Tyler Salcido is the new City Manager in the City of Brawley. Tyler joined the Brawley city staff as the Interim Finance Director in March 2019. He was appointed Finance Director starting May 2019, and he was tagged to serve as the Interim City Manager along with his Finance Director responsibilities in September 2020. He was appointed City Manager in November 2020. Tyler earned a BS in accounting from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Retired Newport Beach City Manager David Kiff will serve as the Sonoma Interim City Manager starting in January 2021 following City Manager Cathy Capriola’s retirement at the end of December. Dave is currently serving as the Healdsburg Interim City Manager. Prior to Healdsburg, he served as the Interim City Manager in the City of Huntington Beach. David grew up in Healdsburg. He attended Santa Rosa Junior College, and he earned a BA from California State University, Sacramento, and a Master’s in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania.
Moorpark City Manager Troy Brown is the new 2020- 2021 President-elect of the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA). Troy will serve in this leadership role for a one year term and then will assume the office of ICMA President at the 2021 Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. Troy has been active with ICMA since 2004. Troy worked in assignments with the cities of Santa Clarita, Riverside, Elk Grove and Livermore before becoming the City Manager in Tracy (2014-2017). Troy was appointed Moorpark City Manager in March, 2018.
Fredric William Maley passed away on September 27, 2015, at the age of 79 in Newport Beach. Fred served as City Manager in Villa Park and as Interim City Manager in South Gate and Twentynine Palms. Fred grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and served in the United States Marine Corps. He was discharged from the Marines as a Captain in 1966. He earned a BA from Penn State University and a Master’s degree from California State University, Long Beach. He served in city management posts in Pennsylvania and Florida before coming to Villa Park in July 1987.
With Sausalito City Manager Adam Politzer retiring at the end of the year, the city has launched an executive search for a new City Manager. An Interim City Manager appointment is expected before November 11. The recruitment process may take four to nine months. Adam became Sausalito City Manager in 2007.
Palo Alto City Manager Ed Shikada recently promoted Chantal Cotton Gaines to the position of Deputy City Manager. Chantal is a 12-year veteran of local government, working in city management assignments in California, Maryland and Michigan. She has been the Assistant to the City Manager in Palo Alto for nearly three-years. Prior to coming to the Palo Alto city staff, Chantal worked four years with the City of Oakland. She earned a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s in urban planning from the University of Michigan.
Huntington Beach City Manager Oliver Chi finds himself being accused of wrongdoing by a couple of disgruntled city employees. Accusations of cyber spying and sexual harassment have been made. Oliver denies any wrongdoing. Oliver came to Huntington Beach in September 2019. He previously served as City Manager in Monrovia (2014-2019), Assistant City Manager in Barstow (2011-2014), and Rosemead City Manager (2007-2009). He also held positions in Arcadia and Claremont. Oliver earned a BA and MPA from the University of Southern California (USC). Oliver is a past President of the Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC) in 2004-2005.
Pacifica City Manager Kevin Woodhouse has worked in local government for more than 27-years. Kevin previously served as the Assistant General Manager for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, California, and he was previously the Deputy City Manager for the City of Mountain View. He joined the Mountain View city staff in 1996 as an Administrative Analyst. Kevin earned a BA from Stanford University and an MPA from San Francisco State University.
Daniel Buffalo is the Director of Finance for the City of Ukiah. Dan is a certified public accountant (CPA). He joined the Ukiah city staff in July 2019 and previously served as the Finance Director in the City of Lakeport. Dan earned a BA from the University of California, Davis, and an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC). Dan is an Adjunct Faculty Member at Mendocino College.
Former Fresno Director of Public Utilities, Thomas Esqueda, will be the new Fresno City Manager starting in January.
Members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors – the five Supervisors who oversee a $36.7 billion budget for 88 cities and millions of residents – are, for the first time, all-female.
Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager in Los Gatos, served as an Adjunct Professor at San Jose State University from 2003 to 2014.
Lenka Wright became the first Chief Communications Officer; a new city staff position in the City of Mountain View, in September of this year.
For the first time, the City of El Monte has elected an all-woman City Council to work with City Manager Alma K. Martinez.
Nicolette Drulias of Placentia reports that the City of Placentia earned the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting presented by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for Fiscal Year 2018-2019.
Judy Shepard-Hall, the Vallejo Housing & Community Development Manager, was born and raised mostly in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape & Recreation Corporation’s Community Executive Officer (September, 2003-present) Candice Fullencamp, is a former Bellflower Parks and Recreation Director, and Director of Parks, Recreation and Beaches for the City of Pacifica.
Former League of California Cities staff member Teresa Acosta has been elected to the City Council in the City of Carlsbad.
Sean Ashton of the Downey City Council is the President of the Independent Cities Association.
Since January 2020 Rondall “Ron” V. Phillips has served as the City Administrator in the City of Bishop.
Tina Wehrmeister has served as the Planning Director for the City of Pacifica since November 2018.
Tehachapi City Manager Greg Garrett is the Champion of the Year Award winner, presented by the Small Business Development Center for the Central California Region.
Burbank City Manager Justin Hess, CCMF Vice President, received the 2020 Mary Alice O’Connor Vision Award from the Family Service Agency of Burbank.
Pasadena is seriously considering the establishment of an Eddie Van Halen Memorial that could include renaming a street in his honor.
Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Striplin, President of the California City Management Foundation (CCMF), has worked for the City of Santa Clarita since February 1996.
In 1978 the Vallejo City Manager was Gerald R. Davis. Retired Arcadia City Manager Don Penman is the new Interim City Manager in Calabasas following Ray Taylor, who has served in that role since June of last year. This is Don’s seventh “interim” assignment since his retirement.