Trackdown ManagementTrackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 17: Issue No. 10

For over 15 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

Marissa Trejo has been hired as the new city manager for the City of Lemoore. She was selected from more than 40 candidates. Marissa has served as the Coalinga city manager since November 2015. She was the human resources director in Coalinga starting in October 2008 and joined the City as a human resources analyst in 2006. Marissa earned an MS in human resources from Chapman University.

Jonathan Berrego, Oceanside’s city manager, joined City representatives in expressing their gratitude to the many regional partners who aided in extinguishing the Oceanside Pier fire on April 25. The City hosted a special recognition lunch at the Pier Amphitheater. The collective actions of all responding agencies resulted in no injuries and the saving of 93% of the pier.

Mountain View Public Works Director Dawn Cameron announced her retirement after a 30-yearc career in the public sector. Dawn began her career as an intern with Santa Clara County and worked in the county Transportation Agency. She has worked for Mountain View for seven years. She is scheduled to retire in September. Kimbra McCarthy is the Mountain View city manager.

South Pasadena City Manager Arminé Chaparyan, who received the ICMA Credentialed Manager designation in January and previously worked as assistant city manager and community development director for the City of San Gabriel, has been dismissed. The City is considering appointing an interim city manager. Luis Frausto is the acting South Pasadena deputy city manager.

Seaside City Manager Jaime Fontes was cut loose “without cause” at a June City Council meeting. Jaime was fired after less than two years in the position. Jaime was hired as city manager in 2022 following City Manager Craig Malin’s resignation to return to the Midwest. Craig previously served as city administrator for Davenport, Iowa for 14 years. Jaime has been on administrative leave since April. He previously served as the city manager for the Cities of Greenfield and East Palo Alto. Seaside Chief of Police Nick Borges has served as acting city manager.

Former Vallejo City Manager Greg Nyhoff has been hired as the interim city manager in the City of Mount Pleasant, Texas. Mount Pleasant City Manager Ed Thatcher stepped down from the position in May after serving in the role for more than four years. Greg was the Vallejo city manager from January 2018 to July 2021. Before Vallejo, Greg worked as the city manager for the City of Oxnard and Modesto.

Lindsay has hired Exeter Director of Public Works, Daymon Qualls, as its new city manager. City Manager Joe M. Tanner was relieved of his duties and placed on administrative leave in December 2023. He was appointed Lindsay city manager in March 2020. Recreation Director Armando da Silva was appointed interim city manager during the recruitment process for a new city manager. Daymon has served as public works director in Exeter since 2005. He has also served as an Exeter reserve police officer. He is also a licensed minister and a well-known gospel musician. Daymon earned a BA in business administration from California Coast University.

Palm Spring City Manager Scott C. Stiles, former Garden Grove city manager, began his public service career in May 1988 when he joined the city staff in the City of Cincinnati, Ohio. Scott worked in various positions in the City of Cincinnati, including interim city manager, from December 2013 through September 2014. He was the assistant city manager from February 2005 to July 2015. Scott became the city manager in Garden Grove in August 2015, and he started his Palm Springs city manager tenure in March 2023 when he replaced City Manager Justin Clifton. Scott earned a BA from South Dakota State University and a Master’s from the University of Cincinnati. He received a 40-year ICMA Service Award in 2023. Scott is an ICMA credentialed manager.

Ryan Smoot followed the retired Jeffrey L. Stewart as the city manager for the City of Bellflower. Ryan previously served as the highly regarded city manager for the City of Lomita. He earned a BA from California State University, Long Beach. Retired Jeff succeeded City Manager Michael Egan, who left Bellflower to serve as the Norwalk city manager. Mike, who took the Bellflower reigns from Linda Lowry and went on to serve as the city manager in Diamond Bar and Pomona, served as the Artesia interim city manager following his retirement from Norwalk. Ojai City Manager Ben Harvey worked with Mike and Linda in Bellflower.

Adel Hagekhalil, general manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California was placed on leave while the Agency investigates allegations of harassment filed against him by Katano Kasaine, the MWD’s Chief Financial Officer. It is reported that Katano said the general manager harassed, demeaned and sidelined her while creating a hostile work environment for her. Assistant General Manager Deven Upadhyay is temporarily the interim general manager.

Rev. Geoge T. Lambert began his public service career as a personnel analyst for Fresno County in September 1971 before he was appointed administrative assistant for the City of Santa Maria in September 1974. George was hired to serve as the city manager in Corcoran starting in March 1980. In May 1990, George left Corcoran to become the Norco city manager (May 1990-November 1995). He left Norco in 1995 to serve as the city manager of Patterson until he retired in September 2003. George earned a BA and a Master’s from San Jose State University. In 2001 he received a 30-year ICMA Service Award.

Shorts:

  • Tony Olmos, Pasadena’s Director of Public Works, who previously worked as the director of Public Works in Brea, will leave the City of Pasadena in July.
  • Adelanto, where Jessie Flores is the city manager, and the Town of Yucca Valley, where Curtis Yakimow is the town manager, are new California Contract Cities Association (CCCA) member agencies.
  • Former Commerce (2017-2023) and Huntington Park (2015-2017) City Manager Edgar Cisneros served as a senior deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina (2007-2014) and as a member of the Board of Education for the Montebello Unified School District (2013-2020).
  • California State University, Long Beach alumnus Jonathan E. Borrego, Oceanside city manager, worked as the planning services manager for the City of Anaheim for nearly 30 years starting in May 1988.
  • Kwame Reed has served as the city manager of Antioch since July 2023, when City Manager Cornelius Johnson resigned.
  • Retired City of Cypress Water Quality Manager Gonzalo Vazquez, a professional DJ, participated at the sold-out Angels 5K and Fun Run at Angels’ Stadium in Anaheim on Saturday. June 29.
  • Peter Castro, Indian Wells assistant city manager, served as president of the Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC) from 2013 to 2014. He began his career with The Walt Disney Company in June 1999.
  • Carl Alameda, who worked for the City of La Cañada Flintridge for nearly 20 years, and who has served as the assistant city manager in Ojai since June 2023, was the president of the Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC) in 2007-2008.
  • Fairfield Assistant City Manager and CIO Savita Chaudhary has served as a member of the ICMA Digital Strategies Committee since September 2023.
  • Retired City Manager Ed Everett authored a piece published in the May 2024 issue of PM Magazine entitled “Let’s Think Differently About Our Stupid Rules.”
  • Pat Martel, a retired veteran city manager and past president of ICMA, serves as the ICMA West Coast regional director and as the ex-officio ICMA liaison to California Women Leading Government.
  • Juan J. Serrano, born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, a Recreation and Community Services Supervisor for the City of Hawaiian Gardens, earned an AA in psychology from Cerritos Community College and studied child psychology at California State University, Long Beach.
  • Anna Perez Welter, the municipal stormwater program assistant for the Town of Windsor, previously served as the administrative technician for environmental compliance in the City of Calistoga.
  • Avid San Francisco Giants baseball fan Tim Kerr served as city manager in Turlock (2005-2009), Ceres (1998-2005) and Livingston (1990- 1998).
  • Carlene Saxton, assistant city manager for the City of Ventura, is the executive board president for California Women Leading Government.