The City Council has unanimously selected Assistant City Manager Cristine Alilovich as the next city manager and will vote on her employment agreement at its meeting on April 17, 2023.
Alilovich’s contract, which will begin June 1, 2023, will pay the same base salary — $283,992 a year — as the retiring city manager, Jim Schutz.
Alilovich, 50, of Novato, said she’s excited about her new role with the city.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as San Rafael’s next city manager and appreciate the faith and trust the Mayor and City Council have placed in me,” Alilovich said. “I feel grateful to have such an exceptional team moving forward.”
When Schutz announced that he would retire after serving eight years as city manager and more than 30 years of public service, city officials opened a nationwide recruitment to identify the best possible candidate to lead the city into the future. After examining a highly qualified candidate pool, the mayor and City Council unanimously agreed that the skills and experience that Alilovich brings are the right fit at the right time. Alilovich has been the assistant city manager for nearly eight years and previously worked as part of the executive management team at the County of Marin.
Alilovich is both a mother and stepmother to four children, ages 10, 14, 17, and 30, and is a proud grandmother of three.
Schutz said he’s pleased Alilovich is taking over his responsibilities.
“There’s nothing better than to leave the place you love in the hands of someone you trust,” Schutz said.
Mayor Kate Colin congratulated Alilovich on her promotion. “Cristine’s contributions to the City of San Rafael have been impactful and important. We have seen her ability to build relationships with key stakeholders and our residents, which will be critical as we work together to tackle city issues. We’re in good hands with Cristine at the helm and we look forward to working with her in this new role.”
Alilovich has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University.
The national recruitment was conducted by Bob Murray and Associates and yielded 32 candidates.