Orinda Mayor Darlene Gee announced the selection of Linda Smith to serve as Orinda’s next City Manager. The Orinda City Council will consider approval of the City Manager Employment Agreement at its July 16, 2024, meeting. Smith, who is the current City Manager of Dublin, CA, will start her tenure with the City of Orinda on October 14, 2024.
“Orinda is excited to have attracted an experienced and knowledgeable City Manager who is from a nearby community and who is familiar with regional and other issues of interest to Orinda to serve as our next City Manager,” said Mayor Gee. “Her strong background in economic development, communications, and a wide range of local government operations will serve the City and community well.”
The selection of Ms. Smith came after an extensive recruitment process which resulted in a well-qualified candidate pool with Linda being the best choice to lead the City organization. Smith has spent more than 22 years working in local government. She joined the City of Dublin in 2009 and served a variety of positions before becoming City Manager in in 2014. She previously worked for the cities of Brentwood and Tracy in economic development roles.
Prior to working in local government, Smith spent a decade working in the private sector as a communications and marketing executive for emerging technology companies in the Silicon Valley, as well as for companies such as Levi Strauss, Visa, Bank of America, and the Clorox Company. A graduate of San Jose State University, Smith is also active in a number of professional associations including the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). In anticipation of the approval of her employment agreement, Ms. Smith said “I am thrilled by the opportunity to join the City of Orinda. I plan to deliver on the priorities set by the City Council, provide leadership and mentorship to the City’s team of professionals, and tackle issues faced by this community.”