Trackdown Management’s City Manager newsletter: Volume No. 14, Issue No. 9
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.
Former Anaheim City Manager Chris Zapata, 61, is the new City Manager in the City of Sausalito. Chris has an impressive 30-year record of City Manager experience. He has served as the City Manager in Anaheim (2018-2020), San Leandro (2012-2018), National City (2004- 2012), and prior to that he worked for three cities in Arizona, in two of them as City Manager. Chris earned a BA from Northern Arizona University. In 2016 he received a 25-year ICMA Service Award. Chris served as President of the ICMA Local Government Hispanic Network (2007-2008).
Coronado is recruiting for a new City Manager. Coronado City Manager Blair King has accepted the position of City Manager in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Retired Anaheim City Manager David Morgan, now an executive recruiter, has been retained to assist the city with finding a new City Manager. In the meantime retired Coronado City Manager Mark Ochenduszko has been appointed to serve as Interim City manager.
Retired Newport Beach City Manager David Kiff is the new Interim Executive Director for the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. County Administrator Sheryl Bratton made the appointment. Dave most recently served as the Interim City Manager in Sonoma. Following his retirement he served as Interim City Manager in Huntington Beach and for the City of Healdsburg.
Foster City has proposed the creation of a new Deputy City Manager position in its 2021-2022 proposed budget. The new Deputy City Manager will serve as a department head and report directly to City Manager Peter Pirnejad.
Marcus Fuller has been selected to be the new City Manager in the City of Rialto beginning June 21. Marcus has served as Assistant City Manager in Palm Springs since 2014. He previously served as the Rialto Public Works Director and City Engineer. He began his public service career in 1996 with La Paz County, Arizona. Marcus earned a BS in civil engineering from Northern Arizona University, and an MPA from California State University, San Bernardino.
City Manager Dave Sykes of the City of San Jose. Dave began his career in San Jose in 1987 as a part-time engineering trainee in the Public Works Department. He worked his way up in the Department to become the Director of Public Works and the City Engineer. Dave has served as City Manager since September 2017. He earned a BS and MS in civil engineering from San Jose State University. He also earned an AA degree from West Valley College. He is a licensed civil engineer in California.
Retired Indio City Manager Mark Scott is the new Interim City Manager in the City of Lincoln. Mark has worked as a City Manager in the cities of Indio, San Bernardino, Burbank, Fresno, Culver City, Beverly Hills, and Spartanburg, South Carolina. Mark began his public service career in 1983 in Beverly Hills as an assistant. In 1990 he served as the Community Development Director in the City of Santa Clarita. Mark received a 40-year ICMA Service Award in 2019. He earned a BA from California State University, and an MBA from Stanford University. He is a Trackdown Posse Member.
Cupertino City Manager Deb Feng resigned in May 2021. She said that she will be pursuing other opportunities outside the City of Cupertino. Deb was appointed City Manager in 2018. The Silicon Valley Business Journal named Deb as a 2021 Woman of Influence. She is a Silicon Valley native. She previously worked for more than 30-years in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Ames Research Center on Moffett Field. Deb earned an MBA from San Jose State University.
Selma City Manager Teresa Gallavan was removed from her position in May 2021. Teresa was appointed City Manager in October 2018. Teresa previously worked in Economic Development and as Assistant City Manager in the City of Lompoc. Prior to that she was the Riverside County Economic Development Agency’s marketing and cultural services manager.
Turlock Human Resources Manager Sarah Eddy was appointed Acting City Manager taking over on May 27 when Acting City Manager Gary Hampton reached his PERS imposed limit. Sarah was born and raised in Turlock. She has worked for the City for 32- years, starting her Turlock city staff career in August 1988 in the City Manager’s Office. Sarah earned a BS and MBA from California State University, Stanislaus.
City Manager Tabatha Miller joined the City of Fort Bragg in March 2018. Her prior experience includes practicing law for several years in Washington State, and working with a startup legal tech firm in Bellevue, Washington. She served as the Administrative Services Director in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. She also served a time as the Financial Services Director in Sedona, Arizona, Finance Director for the Alderwood Water and Wastewater District in Washington State, and Administrative Services Director for the City of Aspen, Colorado. Tabatha is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She earned a BS in accounting from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, and a J.D. from Gonzaga Law School in Spokane, Washington.
Long Beach City Manager Tom Modica appointed Meredith Reynolds, the City’s Park Planning and Partnership Bureau Manager in the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, to the position of Special Deputy City Manager for Recovery. Meredith will oversee the implementation of various coronavirus pandemic recovery programs. Prior to Long Beach, Meredith worked for the City of Irvine, first as an Environmental Programs Administrator (2011-2012) and then as Community Services Administrator (2012-2015). Meredith earned an MPPM from Carnegie Mellon University. She is a Coro Fellow and worked a 9-month program with the City of Menlo Park’s City Manager’s Office.
West Hollywood Assistant City Manager David Wilson has been selected to replace longtime retiring City Manager Paul Arevalo. David joined the West Hollywood staff in 1999 as a Project Development Administrator. In 2004 he took a Senior Management Analyst post, and in 2008 he became the Budget & Compensation Manager. David was appointed Director of Finance & Technology Services, and he was elevated to Assistant City Manager effective July 11, 2018. David earned a BA from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master’s degree in Planning from the School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California (USC).
Redondo Beach City Manager Joe Hoefgen has announced his retirement in mid-November. Joe became the Interim City Manager in 2014 and he was appointed City Manager in January 2015. He previously served as the Redondo Beach Community Services Director (2011-2014) for about three years. He held local government positions in Kansas, Texas before he came to California. He served as a Management Analyst in Encinitas (1990-1992), Assistant to the City Manager in Del Mar (1992-1996), and Del Mar Assistant City Manager (1996-2007). Joe worked as the Palos Verdes Estates City Manager from 2007 to 2011. He then joined the Redondo Beach staff. Joe earned a BA from Emporia University and an MPA from the University of Kansas. He received a 35-year ICMA Service Award in 2017.
Ernest C. “Ernie” Marriner, Jr. died in Grinnell, Iowa on January 23, 2013 from heart failure. Ernie was born in Waltham, Massachusetts. He was hired in 1952 as an assistant with the City of Inglewood. He was the first President of the organization that today is the Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC). Ernie served as the City Manager in Pittsburg, California (1955-1968), and City Manager of the City of Lafayette (1968-1982), from where he retired. Before coming to California and after he was discharged as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Administrative Corps in 1946, Ernie served in two cities in the State of Maine as Town Manager (1947-1951). Ernie is a graduate of Coburn Classical Institute and of Colby College. He also earned an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
A roster listing of the 1982 City of Bellflower administration lists: Jack A. Simpson, Robert Fleming, Mark A. Fullerton, Anton “Ski” Brykoski, Debra Bauchop, Sylvia Rodriquez, Sheree Millikan, and Shelly Scott. The City Attorney was Maurice O’Shea, and Josephine Triggs is listed as the City Clerk.
Former Coronado Chief of Police Arthur LeBlanc passed away at the age of 84 on October 5, 2010. Art served as the Coronado Chief from 1969 to 1980. He then served as the Chief of the San Diego Unified Port District Harbor Police from 1980 until his retirement in 1991. Art was born in Detroit on April 20, 1926. He served in the U. S. Navy from 1944 to 1947. He earned a BA from California State University, Los Angeles, and an MPA from La Verne College. Art was also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
*Cypress City Engineer Kamran Dadbeh has retired.
*Coachella Economic Development Director Gabriel Martin is the new Coachella City Manager replacing the retiring City Manager Bill Pattison.
*West Covina City Manager David Carmany said that city consultant Dr. Basil Vassantachart with help the city create its own Health Department.
*Palm Springs Chief of Police Bryan Reyes will retire in August after 27-years working for the department.
*City Manager Jennifer Cervantez, a former Assistant City Manager in La Habra, Is the first female City Manager for the City of Santa Margarita.
*Calexico City Manager Miguel Figueroa earned a BS from California State University, Long Beach and an MPA from Syracuse Unversity’s Maxwell School.
*Unincorporated Locke, California was built on ten acres between 1893 and 1915, and is now known as the Locke Historic District near Sacramento.
*Juli (Greenberger) Mortensen is the Human Resources Analyst for the City of Fort Bragg, California, and she earned a BBA from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, and an MA in HR and an MA in computer resources from Webster University.
*Edward Tom Owens graduated from Robert A. Millikan High School in Long Beach in 1961, earned an MBA from Pepperdine University, and currently lives in Salem, Oregon.
*Beverly Hills Marketing & Economic Sustainability Manager Laura Ann Biery recently participated at the BMW Performance Driving School near Palm Springs, and was able to drive some high-performance vehicles.
*Berkeley Deputy City Manager David White resigned the position of City Manager in the City of Fairfield after nearly 5-years to work with Berkeley City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley.
*Steve Danley has served as the Fullerton Acting City Manager since the dismissal of City Manager Ken Domer.
*Conserve water, it is important to everyone! ***