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

Assistant City Manager Ethan Bindernagel has been hired to serve as the new city manager for the City of Pleasant Hill. Ethan takes over from longtime City Manager June Catalano, who retired June 16, 2023. He joined the Pleasant Hill city staff in 2021. Ethan previously worked 14 years for the City of Walnut Creek. He earned a BA in public policy from the University of Chicago and a Master degree in community planning from the University of Maryland.

With Gilroy City Administrator Jimmy Forbis July 2025 retirement, veteran public manager Brad Kilger is set to serve as the interim city administrator. Since serving as city manager for Yucca Valley (1996-2002), Ceres (2006-2010), Benicia (2010-2016) and Martinez (2016-2019), Brad has completed “interim” city manager assignments in South Lake Tahoe, Los Altos, Calistoga and Gustine.

Ronda Perez is the new City of Malibu city manager effective August 25. She is an ICMA Credentialed Manager. Ronda previously worked for Palmdale. She joined Palmdale in 2021 as assistant city manager and in March 2022 she became interim city manager. Ronda became the Palmdale city manager in February 2023. Another of her previous work assignments was with the City of Lancaster, where she worked as a senior operations manager, director of Parks, Recreation and Arts and assistant city manager. Ronda earned a BS in criminal justice from California State University, Long Beach, and dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and criminology, law and society from the University of California, Irvine.

Steve Colangelo is stepping away from the Stockton city manager position and Deputy City Manager Will Crew is the new acting city manager. Will joined the Stockton city staff in May 2020 as director of community development. He was appointed deputy city manager in January 2022. He previously worked as a contract building official in the cities of Angels Camp, Elk Grove, Riverbank, Sonora and Modesto.

Monterey City Manager Hans J. Uslar will retire in December 2025. Hans joined the Monterey city staff in 1997 as a management analyst. He became the assistant city manager in 2014, interim city manager and then city manager in 2018. Hans earned Master’s degrees from the University of Armed Services, Hamburg and from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey. In 2018 he received a 20-Years ICMA Services Award.

Fountain Valley Fire Chief Bill McQuaid passed away suddenly and unexpectedly this past month. The Chief was 57 years old. Bill worked 30-years with the Fountain Valley Fire Department. He was named chief of the department in 2023. Bill was a graduate of Fountain Valley High School. He joined the fire department in 1996.

Andrea Lueker is the new interim city manager for Morro Bay replacing the abruptly dismissed City Manager Yvonne Kimball. In addition to Andrea’s experience working as the Morro Bay city manager, she worked as the harbor manager of the Port San Luis Harbor District.

Retired city manager Rod Gould, Dr. Frank Benest and Jan Perkins authored an important piece published in the ICMA publication, P.M. magazine, entitled: “Don’t Abandon the Profession in Retirement.” These three highly recognized professionals urge veteran city managers to stay engaged and put their experiences to good use. The article is found starting on Page 32 of the June 2025 issue of the Official Publication of ICMA. Benjamin A. Martinez is the new city manager for the City of Calexico. Ben currently lives in San Diego but will relocate to a home closer to the city offices.

Chief of Police Armando Orozco has been serving in the dual role of chief and interim city manager. He took over from Interim City Manager Rick Daniels, following the dismissal of City Manager Esperanza Colio-Warren. Ben was terminated in April as city manager for the City of National City, and he previously held positions in Baldwin Park and El Monte.

City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz has announced the appointment of Tiarra Warner as the new director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services for Redwood City. Tiarra began her public service career in April 2006 as a recreation leader for the City of Long Beach. After working in Long Beach for nearly nine years, Tiarra joined the West Hollywood staff in 2013 before she was hired in January 2016 to be the Signal Hill community services coordinator. She joined the Beverly Hills staff in June 2017 as recreation supervisor, and she took the community service manager in Rohnert Park in August 2021. Tiarra earned a B S and an MS in recreation administration from California State University, Long Beach, California.

Vallejo Assistant City Manager Nalungo Conley, 51, the city’s second assistant city manager started her new job on July 8. Since then she has been linked to several social media racially charged posts. Though the social media account has been deleted the content of the posts included content that described white people as “evil” and accused white women of raising “bigoted white boys.” Among the retweets linked to the account was one that read: “White women marry bigoted white men and birth bigoted white boys.” Another read: “Black people, I think it’s time we withdraw ourselves from anything but blackness.” At this writing, no action on the matter has been announced.

Many wealthy Bay Area residents are renting rather than buying a home. The number is increasing. A new study by RentCafe found that the number of millionaire renters increased fourfold in sections of the Bay Area between 2019 and 2023. The number tripled and outpaced the growth of millionaire homeowners. According to real estate agents, the trend is driven by three key factors: a decline in the desirability of homeownership, the rise of a class of tech professionals who prefer a nomadic, flexible lifestyle and financial concerns about the wisdom of losing liquidity by investing in a home. The Bay Area, in particular, experienced a steep rise in millionaire renters. The number in San Francisco rose from 321 to 1,411, and in San Jose it jumped from 173 to 577.

Former Costa Mesa City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, who was terminated May 6, has filed a legal action questioning her dismissal. She alleges law violations by Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens. Instead of questioning and counseling the Mayor, the city manager was dismissed.

Longtime member of the city of Sebastopol staff, Mary Gourley is serving as the interim city manager until January 31, 2026, or until a city manager is hired, whichever comes first. Mary joined the Sebastopol city staff in March 1995 as a planning and public works technician. She joined the city staff after working nearly 13 years in the Presidio of San Francisco with the Department of the Army from June 1982 until March 1995. Mary was appointed Sebastopol city clerk in September 2006. She was the recipient of the award as “California’s 2019 City Clerk of the Year,” by the City Clerks Association of California.

Former Sebastopol City Manager and Rohnert Park Assistant City Manager Don Schwartz was an instructor at Sonoma State University in their Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program. He taught “Public Policy Process,” and “Organizational Theory and Analysis.” Don earned a BA in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MPP from the Kennedy School at Harvard University.

Longtime Newport Beach City Clerk Leilani Brown retired effective June 13, 2025. Leilani began her public service career working for the City of Bellflower. “Best Trackdown wishes” to Leilani for a long and enjoyable retirement.

San Carlos Assistant City Manager Nil Blackburn is serving as acting city manager during the absence of City Manager Jeff Maltbie, who is on sabbatical until September. Nil has been assistant city manager since December 2021. She served as assistant to the city manager in Burlingame from November 2014 to December 2021. Nil earned an MBA and a JD from Western Reserve University.

Kevin O’Rourke was president of the League’s City Managers’ Department in 1997-1998. He was an ICMA Regional Vice President on the Executive Board in 2000-2003. Kevin served as city manager for the cities of Stanton, Buena Park and Fairfield. He was interim city manager for Stockton, Woodland and Santa Ana. Since August 2020, Kevin has worked as a senior consultant for PARS. Kevin earned a BA from La Salle College.

Shorts

  • Olga Berdial is the communications director for the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (CJPIA).
  • Candace Bond served as the Malibu interim city manager starting in May 2025 and leaves the assignment when new city manager Ronda Perez begins her Malibu tenure in August 2025.
  • Christine Martin and Kylie Sun of Tripepi Smith –Talent Solutions-lead the recruitment that brought Oscar Antillon to the Public Works Director position for the City of Palos Verdes Estates.
  • Tim Kawasaki, a former senior management analyst for the city of La Mesa, who previously worked for San Jose, San Mateo, Los Gatos and Mountain View, has worked as a human resources analyst for the County of San Diego since September 2022.
  • Former Cerritos and Lake Forest City Manager, the late Gaylord F. Knapp worked in planning for the City of La Mesa from June 1967 until May 1972.
  • Kristina Ray, a former Carlsbad director of communication and engagement, serves as the director of LEAN Government for the City of San Marcos.
  • Former Cupertino city manager Pamela Wu resigned after being placed on paid leave in May and receiving a settlement of more than $311,000, marking the 6th change in management since 2018.
  • Bruce Anthony Southworth, 43 of Yucaipa, a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s department sergeant, is suspected of piloting a boat on the Colorado River at Needles while under the influence of alcohol, when he collided with another boat, killing Weston R. Stewart, 38 of La Verne.
  • Haydee Urita-Lopez is the deputy director for the City of Los Angeles City Planning, and she serves as an adjunct faculty member for Los Angeles Community College District.
  • The late Joseph M. Goeden served as the city administrator for Montebello from May 1980 until May 1989 when he joined the West Sacramento city staff as city manager.
  • Santa Monica City Attorney Doug Sloan has resigned his position effective August 31, 2025.
  • Sausalito faces an issue with a proposed home remodel that neighbors disapprove of, and the police have received allegations of physical violence over the plan.
  • Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson supports budget allocations in the city’s 2026 budget to assist federal immigration violators with a legal defense regarding deportation actions.
  • With Eric Levitt leaving the Fullerton city manager position, former Westminster city manager, Eddie Manfro, has been retained to be the interim city manager.
  • Tina Kapoor has inked an employment agreement to serve the City of Cupertino as interim city manager following the departure of City Manager Pamela Wu.