Trackdown Management’s City Manager newsletter: Volume No. 15: Issue No. 8
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.
Irvine Assistant City Manager Marianna Marysheva is the new City Manager in the City of Livermore taking the post from retiring City Manager Marc Roberts. Marianna became the Irvine Assistant City Manager in July 2018. She served as the Interim City Manager from September 2020 until December. She previously worked as the Assistant City Manager in Riverside and as Town Manager in Mammoth Lakes. Prior to that Marianna served in the City of Oakland as Budget Director (2001-2005) and Assistant City Administrator (2008-2011).
Former Montebello City Manager Francesca TuckerSchuyler and the City of Montebello have reached a settlement regarding the wrongful termination action she filed in June 2020. She sought damages, due to alleged whistleblower retaliation, discrimination based on sex, wrongful termination and failure to prevent discrimination. She was hired first in Montebello as Finance Director in October 2010. She became City Administrator in May 2012, and the title was changed to City Manager in March 2015.
Riverside City Manager Al Zelinka has been recruited to serve as the City Manager in the City of Huntington Beach, replacing City Manager Oliver Chi, who is currently the City Manager in Irvine. Al will take his new office in Huntington Beach in June 2022. Prior to Riverside, Al worked as the Director of Community Development in Fullerton. He was appointed Riverside City Manager in 2018 following City Manager John Russo after working as Assistant City Manager. Veteran City Manager Sean Joyce has been serving as the Huntington Beach Interim City Manager.
Retired veteran City Manager Brad Kilger has been retained to serve as the Interim City Manager in the City of Gustine, as the city conducts recruitment to replace City Manager Doug Dunford, who left for the City Manager position in California City. Brad served as the City Manager in Ceres, Martinez, Benicia and Yucca Valley. Since his retirement, he has served as Interim City Manager in South Lake Tahoe, Los Altos and Calistoga. Brad is a past President of the City Managers’ Department of the League of California Cities.
California City has hired retired City Manager Greg Greeson to serve as an Interim Human Resources Director to work with new City Manager Doug Dunsford. The two have worked together previously in Escalon and in Gustine. Greg has been serving as the City Manager in Wheatland, California.
Former Chief of Police Joseph Gorton is the City Manager in San Ramon. He previously served as the San Ramon Chief between 2013 and 2017 when he was appointed City Manager. Joe served as a Captain with the San Ramon Police Department from 2006 to 2013. Before that, he worked various law enforcement roles for the County of Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office (1988-2006). He earned an AS in the administration of justice from Butte College, and a BA and an MS from the University of San Francisco. He also completed Command College at the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training.
Girard “Gerry” Beaudin is the next City Manager in the City of Pleasanton. Gerry is following retired City Manager Nelson Fialho. Since Nelson left at the end of November 2021, Assistant City Manager Brian Dolan has been serving as the Interim City Manager. Gerry has been serving as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Alameda for the last two and a half years. Prior to that he served four years as the Pleasanton Community Development Director. He has also worked in Los Altos, South San Francisco and Mountain View. He earned a BA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and an MS from the University of Toronto. Gerry’s first day as City Manager will be May 23, 2022. Gerry will take over for Interim City Manager and Assistant City Manager Brian Dolan, who has stepped in when City Manager Nelson Fialho retired in November 2021.
Desiree Brun served as the Deputy City Manager in the City of Napa from September 2017 to January 2020 when she retired. She previously worked as Assistant to the City Manager (2013-2017) and Management Analyst (2007-2013) in Napa. Desiree earned a BA in microbiology with a minor in chemistry from Sonoma State University. She also earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Desiree received a 20-year ICMA Service Award in 2020.
Former Morro Bay City Administrator (1984-1992) Gary A. Napper served 18- years in the City of Clayton (2001-2019) before he retired. Gary began his career as an Administrative Intern in Garden Grove in 1977. In 1978 he went to work as an Administrative Assistant in the City of Tustin. In 1981, Gary was hired as the Assistant to the City Administrator in Morro Bay. After serving as the Morro Bay City Administrator, Gary was hired to be the City Manager in the City of Ceres (1992-1998), and Glendora (1998-2001). Gary came to Clayton in 2001. He earned a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and an MPA from California State University, Long Beach. In 2018 Gary received a 40-year ICMA Service Award.
In 1970 Gary F. Pokorny became the Executive Secretary for the Woodbury County Conference, Iowa. In 1973 he was hired to be the Assistant City Manager in Sioux City, Iowa, and in 1974 he was appointed City Manager. In 1978 Gary became the City Manager in Corvallis, Oregon. He left there in 1988, spent a couple years as a consultant and was appointed City Manager in El Cerrito in 1989. In 2000 he joined the Walnut Creek city staff as the Director of Arts, Recreation & Community Services. In 2006 he became the Walnut Creek City Manager and he retired in 2010. In January 2012 Gary accepted the position of Executive Director of the Contra Costa Mayors Conference. Gary earned a BA and Masters degree from the University of Nebraska. In 2015 he received a 40-year ICMA Service Award.
Riverbank’s new City Manager Marisela Garcia is on the job. She has been working as the Interim City Manager since City Manager Sean Scully left the position in January to become the City Administrator in Lincoln. Marisela has been the Riverbank Assistant City Manager. She spent several years as the Director of Finance, and she began her city service with the Riverbank Parks and Recreation Department.
Galt City Manager Lorenzo Hines Jr. served as the Director of Administrative Services for the State of California in Sacramento 2001-2005. He then joined King County, Washington (2006-2008) as Chief Financial Officer before accepting the Finance Director position for the City of Edmonds, Washington Public Works. Lorenzo then went to work for Lynnwood, Washington as Finance Director (2011-2014). He returned to California in November 2014 to become the Assistant City Manager in the City of Pacifica. Lorenzo left Pacifica in August 2020 to take the City Manager position in the City of Galt. He earned a BS in accounting from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and an MBA from the University of Washington. Lorenzo is an ICMA Credential Manager and a CPA licenced to work in the State of Washington. Did you know? Belmont Heights incorporated as a city in 1908 and was annexed by the City of Long Beach in 1909. San Pedro incorporated in 1888 and was annexed by Los Angeles in 1909. Watts incorporated in 1907 and was annexed by Los Angeles in 1926.
SHORTS:
Marlene Garcia, Executive Director for the California Student Aid Commission since May 2019, is a former Principal Consultant to Assembly Speaker Willie L. Brown, Jr. in 1989-1993.
Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang not only served on the West Hollywood City Council (and as Mayor) and President of the California Contract Cities Association, he worked for a time as an Assistant City Manager in Pico Rivera.
Greg Grammer, City Manager for the City of Rolling Hills Estates since the retirement of longtime City Manager Doug Prichard, has worked for Rolling Hills Estates for more than 22- years, after working as an Administrative Assistant in Bradbury (1993-2000).
Bill Smith was the Assistant City Manager for the City of Monterey prior to his appointment as City Manager in Manhattan Beach in June 1990, and then he served as the Westminster City Manager starting in 1994.
In April 1987 Ann S. Smith became the Assistant City Manager in the City of Turlock.