Trackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 16: Issue No. 19
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.
Picking Up the Pieces
Yucaipa City Manager Chris Mann has been dealing with the community effects of vacant structures and enforcing minimum property maintenance efforts. Chris is a former Canyon Lake city manager (March 2019-February 2023) who became the Yucaipa city manager in March 2023. Chris is a former director and president of the Yucaipa Valley Water District (2016-2023). He previously worked as a deputy chief of staff for a member of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. Chris earned a BS in psychology and an MPPA from California Lutheran University. He is the Founder of the Inland Empire Taxpayers Association.
Charles A. Montoya is the new city manager for the City of San Bernardino. Charles began his public service career as a senior legislative analyst for the State of New Mexico (1993-2000). He worked as chief financial officer for Jefferson County, Colorado (2000-2005) and as director of finance in the City of Centennial, Colorado (2005-2008), and the Town of Castle Rock, Colorado (2008-2013). Charles was hired to be the town manager in Florence, Arizona in January 2013. From 2015 to 2018, he served as the Watsonville city manager. He has been the Avondale, Arizona city manager for three and a half years. Charles earned a BA in business administration from New Mexico State University, an MA in public administration from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Legal Studies from Arizona State University.
Starting on Monday, October 3, June Du began her tenure as the finance director for the City of Los Altos. June was promoted to the position by City Manager Gabriel Engeland. June joined the City staff in 2021 as Finance Manager. She previously worked for the cities of Rio Vista, Willits and San Pablo. She is a certified public accountant and earned a BS in economics from Nankai University and an MS in civil engineering from Ohio University. June also earned an MBA from California University of Pennsylvania. June took over from Interim Finance Director Suzanne Niederhofer.
Pictured here is retired City of Simi Valley City Manager Mike Sedell. He retired from the City in 2012. He worked for the City for 37 years, 17 as city manager with unanimous City Council support. Mike is the Treasurer, as a member of the Board for the Museum of Ventura County. In 2013, Mike was appointed a Trustee on the Ventura County Retirement Association Board. Mike earned a BA from California State University, Northridge and an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC).
Winters City Manager Kathleen Salguero Trepa retired at the end of October. Joe Gordon filled in as acting city manager while Kathleen finished up her transition. Former Vacaville City Manager Jeremy Craig is the new Winters city manager. Jeremy served as the director of finance for the City of Chesterfield, Missouri (2003-2007) before becoming the finance manager for the City of Napa in July 2007. In 2009, Jeremy took the director of finance and technology post in the City of Dixon (2009-2011). He joined the Vacaville City staff in August 2011 in a similar position. He was promoted through the organization and was appointed city manager starting in July 2017. After leaving Vacaville in April 2020, Jeremy did consultant work until his appointment to the Winters city manager post. Jeremy earned a BSBA from Southeast Missouri State University and an MBA from Webster University.
Santa Ana City Manager Kristine Ridge resigned at a Special City Council meeting on Monday, October 9. Kristine is listed as “retired” on her Linkedin page. She began her Santa Ana city manager tenure in May 2019 after serving as the Laguna Niguel city manager for a little more than a year (2018-2019). Kristine worked for the City of Anaheim for more than 24 years, rising in the organization to the position of assistant city manager. Kristine earned a BS in accounting from Arizona State University and an MA in organizational leadership from Chapman University.
Shorts
- Richard “Dick” Kopecky, a well-known former Lancaster city engineer and Willdan executive, is a veteran assessment district engineer.
- Former Lodi (1985-1995) and Woodland (1973-1985) City Manager Thomas A. Peterson, an ICMA LIFE member, began his public service career as a personnel analyst for the San Diego (1962-1964).
- Sheryl Musicant Stewart, retired Lakewood Community relations manager, who works for a local consulting firm, has been married to Bellflower City Manager Jeff Stewart since 1993.
- Retired Vacaville City Manager Laura Kuhn (2009- 2017) served as the President of Vacaville Sunrise Rotary (2015-2016).
- Darrell George, El Segundo city manager, who previously worked as the Duarte city manager, worked for a time with the Kosmont Companies and with Climatec.
- Reva Feldman, a strategic partner executive with Avenu Insights & Analytics is a member of the California City Management Foundation (CCMF) 2022-2023 Board of Trustees.