Christina Horrisberger, a member of the City’s executive leadership team and former Community Development Director, has been appointed to serve as San Mateo’s new Assistant City Manager.
City Manager Alex Khojikian appointed Horrisberger to the permanent role after she served as the interim leader of the City Manager’s Office during a period of transition for the organization. Horrisberger has 19 years of municipal experience in the Bay Area and has been with the City of San Mateo since late 2019. As assistant city manager, she will oversee special projects as well as the core functions of the City Manager’s Office including communications, economic development and sustainability. She will report directly to the city manager and supervise the Community Development and Public Works departments
“I love working for the City of San Mateo and have been impressed by the care and dedication I have witnessed from our staff and community members. I look forward to working collaboratively with my colleagues and the San Mateo community. I am honored to serve as the next Assistant City Manager and will call upon the wisdom and mentorship I have been fortunate to receive during my time here and throughout my career in public service,” Horrisberger said.
Horrisberger earned a master’s in geography with an emphasis on environmental planning and natural resource management, as well as a bachelor’s degree in geography focused on land use and environmental studies. She has been with the City of San Mateo for over 4 years, first serving as deputy director then director of the Community Development Department, and as interim city manager, then interim assistant city manager during a transition of City leadership earlier this year. Prior to her time with the City of San Mateo, she worked as a land use planner for Alameda County, Foster City and Pacifica.
“Christina has been a steadying force for the organization, and I am excited for her to continue serving as a critical leader and member of our executive team,” Khojikian said. “San Mateo has a strong reputation of being a collaborative leader in our region and I am confident Christina’s wealth of experience will serve the community well as we work to tackle major initiatives in priority areas around land use, housing, sustainability, infrastructure, economic vitality, communications and community engagement as well as building capacity within our organization to provide high‐quality City services.”
A Bay Area native, Horrisberger lives in the East Bay with her husband and enjoys spending time with her family, friends and four cats. When not at home, she is an avid traveler and delights in long walks to explore new places.