Trackdown ManagementTrackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 19: Issue No. 01

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

Stockton city manager Harry Black resigned following entering into a new employment agreement in August 2024. Harry began his tenure as the Stockton city manager in January 2020. He previously worked as the city manager for Cincinnati, Ohio. Stockton Deputy City Manager Will Crew will serve as the Acting City Manager until a new city manager is selected. Following the resignation of Sacramento city manager Howard Chan, the city of Sacramento has named Leyne Milstein as the Interim City Manager. Leyne has served as the Sacramento city finance director since 2008. She has also worked as one of four Assistant City Managers since November 2017. Leyne earned a BA in political science from the University of California, Davis and an MPA from California State University, Hayward.

California Joint Powers Insurance Authority Business Projects Manager Carl Sandstrom retired following more than two decades of service to the California JPIA. Carl joined the authority’s staff in 2003 as a training coordinator. He took the Risk Manager position in 2004. He took a Senior Management Analyst role in 2007, and he became the Business Projects and Facilities Manager in 2010.

Whittier city manager Brian Saeki, 50, hired as city manager in 2019, is the new city manager for the City of Vernon effective February 24. Brian is the 8th city manager in Whittier’s 127-year history. Prior to joining the Whittier city staff, Brian served as the Covina city manager (2017- 2019) and the San Fernando city manager (2014-2017). Brian previously served in positions with the cities of Arcadia, Rosemead and Downey. He earned a BS from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and an MPA from California State University, Northridge.

Former Pleasanton City Manager James “Jim” Walker passed away New Year’s Even at the age of 85. He was living as a rancher in New Mexico since retiring in 1990. Jim was born in Alamogordo, New Mexico in July 1939. After moving to California at the age of 10 with his parents. He served in the United State Air Force from 1961 to 1965. He earned a BA from California State University, Sacramento and joined the city staff in Pleasanton in 1967. He worked his way through the Finance Department and after serving as assistant city manager, Jim was appointed Pleasanton city manager in 1980. He left the city in 1990 to fulfill his live-long dream of living on a cattle ranch in New Mexico.

Moreno Valley city manager Mike Lee retired, stepping down in December 2024. He worked with the city for 10 years, five as City Manager. Mike previously worked with the city of West Covina for more than 13 years. He was Assistant City Manager and Community Development Director when he left to join Moreno Valley. Mike earned a BS from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and an MPA from the University of La Verne.

Clovis has selected Andrew Haussler as its new City Manager, replacing retiring City Manager John Holt at the end of the year. Andrew is the Assistant City Manager. He has been with the city for 18 years. He has served as the Community and Economic Development Director. Prior to joining the Clovis city staff, he worked for an electrical company and for the County of Fresno. Andrew earned a BA and MBA from Fresno Pacific University. San Francisco Giants baseball fan and 49ers football fan, Tim Kerr served as City Manager in Turlock (2005-2009), Ceres (1998-2005) and Livingston (1990- 1998). Tim earned a BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MPA from Syracuse University, Maxwell School. After leaving city government, Tim worked as the Executive Director for the Downtown Stockton Alliance from May 2010 until November 2012. Tim has been semi-retired since January 2013.

Dr. Ana M. Alvarez, who has served as the Deputy General Manager for the East Bay Regional Park District since March 2016, is the new city manager for the City of Hayward, effective January 9. The park district is the largest urban park district in the United States with its own police and fire departments managing 73 parks with nearly 127,000 acres in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. She previously worked for the City and County of San Francisco starting in 2009. Before that she held positions in Santa Fe Springs, Oceanside, Burbank and Santa Barbara. Ana earned an MPA from California State University, Northridge and a Doctorate from the University of Southern California (USC).

Cynthia Nava, who joined the Cerritos city staff in 2002 in Building and Safety, has been hired to replace retired Cerritos City Clerk Vida Barone. She has been the Acting City Clerk since September. She worked in the Recreation Services Division before joining the City Clerk’s Office in 2018. Cynthia earned a BA from California State University, Fullerton and an MPA from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Unsuccessful Paso Robles city council candidate Linda George filed a $500,000 personal injury claim against the city. She also calls for the termination of City Manager Ty Lewis, claiming misconduct. The city manager submitted a $2.2 million claim against the city. He was on medical leave allegedly due to stress and returned to his position in November. Santa Ana City Manager Alvaro Nuñez announced the appointment of Robert Rodriguez as the new Santa Ana Chief of Police. Robert has worked as the Acting Chief of Police since November 2, 2023. He has worked for the Santa Ana Police Department since 2000. The new Chief was born in Tijuana, Mexico and came to the United States as a child. He worked as a Los Angeles Police Officer from 1996 to November 2000. Prior to that he served in the United States Marine Corps (1990-1996). Robert earned a BA in criminal justice from Chapman University, and an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC).

Barbara Salvini, the Human Resources Director for Newport Beach, accused City Manager Grace Leung of covering up an illegal gift of public funds in a lawsuit filed last month, claiming the city manager forced her to change official records to aid in a coverup. This has apparently contributed to a hostile workplace. City spokesman John Pope explains that the city denied the claims, and that the allegations are without merit, Barbara has been with Newport Beach since 2015. She worked for 10 years in HR with the City of Laguna Beach.

Santa Monica City Manager David White is stepping down to return to the City of Berkeley as Deputy City Manager. David served 18 months as Interim City Manager prior to being appointed City Manager. He has previous city manager experience serving 5 years as the City Manager for the City of Fairfield.

Shorts

  • Bruce Mulder, who has served as the Director of Parks and Recreation in Brentwood since 2014, is the new Director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Vacaville.
  • Former Claremont Personnel Manager Daylene Alliman is suing the city for alleged discrimination and wrongfully terminating her due to age and health issues.
  • Jason Ta new permanent Chief of Police for the city of Vallejo, it is announced by City Manager Andrew Murray.
  • It was 34 degrees as former Walnut City Manager Robert T. Dickey and his wife Nadean took a New York City walkabout prior to boarding the Queen Mary II the next day for a trip across the Atlantic Ocean to Southampton, England.
  • Laguna Niguel City Manager Tamara Letourneau is pictured on the cover of the December 2024 issue of P.M. Magazine published by ICMA.
  • Tom Robinson’s Management Consultant firm TR Management Services, Inc. continues to provide Assistant City Manager services to the City of La Habra Heights.
  • Reva Feldman of Avenu Insights & Analytics, a current member of the CCMF Board of Trustees, was awarded the CCMF City Manager of the Year Award in 2019 when she served as city manager for the City of Malibu.
  • Brian Halvorson, who worked for Santa Maria and Lompoc, is the new City of Indio Community Development Director starting January 6, 2025.
  • Glendale city manager Roubik Golanian is a professional engineer and started his public service career in 1987 with the City of Ceres as an Engineering Technician.
  • After serving 10 years on the Long Beach city council, Hermosa Beach city manager Suja Lowenthal went to work for Santa Monica until her appointment in Hermosa Beach in September 2018.
  • San Bruno city manager Alex D. McIntyre previously held city/town manager positions in Portola Valley, Tiburon, Menlo Park, Ventura and Lake Oswego, Oregon.
  • Retired from the Anaheim city manager’s office, Lisa Ynez Hughes, who previously worked for the City of Bellflower, is recovering from a recent stroke.
  • Retired Huntington Park City Manager Gregory Korduner has been quite successful in the Dad Miller Senior Men’s Golf Club tournaments in Anaheim, garnering First Place more than once.
  • Former Los Angeles Dodger MVP Cody Bellinger was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the New York Yankees for the 2025 season.
  • Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, a United States Air Force veteran, is a former IBM executive and worked for local governments in Georgia and Arizona, including as city manager for Bisbee, Arizona.
  • Mark Rigali is the newest Captain of the Southwest Riverside County Sheriff’s Station and Temecula Chief of Police. *Vacaville Police Captain Chris Polen is the new Vacaville Chief of Police effective January 1, 2025.
  • Former State of California Department of Corrections professional, Daniel Paramo is the new Interim City Manager for the City of El Centro.
  • J. R. Wright, who previously held positions in Merced and Torrance, is the new Chief Information Officer for the City of Culver City, succeeding the retiring Michele Williams.
  • Former Alhambra and Santa Clara city manager Julio Fuentes currently lives in San Dimas.
  • The late Andrew C. Lazzaretto, in addition to operating his own consulting firm for many years, worked in the cities of Rosemead, Burbank, Alhambra, Stanton, Montebello, Walnut, and Lynwood.
  • Red Bluff City Manager Tom Westbrook, a graduate of California State University, Chico, previously worked as the city manager for the City of Ceres (April 2020 – August 2021).
  • Former city manager Francis Delach is a member of the Adjunct Faculty at the University of La Verne, and he works as a local government consultant.
  • United States’ Air Force veteran Marshall Linn, a founder and formerly with Urban Futures, works as a Partner with Bayshore Consulting Group, Inc.