Trackdown ManagementTrackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 19: Issue No. 12

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

Maria Aliotti has been retained by Pittsburg, California to serve as their Interim City Manager effective September 5. Maria is the Pittsburg Deputy City Manager. She joined the Pittsburg city staff 23 years ago. She has worked as an Administrative Analyst, Project Manager, Redevelopment Manager, Director of Community Services and Deputy City Manager. Maria earned a BA in management from Saint Mary’s College of California.

Assistant City Manager Ryan Gohlich is the next city manager for the City of Beverly Hills. After working as an Associate Planner for a private sector firm starting in September 2005, Ryan joined the Beverly Hills city staff as a Senior Planner in 2007. He was elevated to Assistant Director of Community Development and City Planner in April 2015. Ryan was promoted to Director of Community Development in February 2021, and he became Assistant City Manager in January 2023.

Town of Paradise Town Manager Jim Goodwin has reached a mutual agreement to separate from the Town. Chief of Police Eric Reinbold has agreed to serve as Interim Town Manager. Jim has been Town Manager since July 2023. He previously worked as city manager for the cities of Wheatland (2018-2023) and Live Oak (2008-2018). Jim served as the President and CEO of the Chico Chamber of Commerce from 1996 to 2008. He earned a BA from California State University, Chico.

Lincoln Bogard, CPA, is the new Finance and IT Director for the City of Coachella. Lincoln is a former Finance Director, Administrative Services Director and Deputy City Manager for the city of Banning between 2022 and 2025. He was an Auditor with the City of Berkeley (2012-2015), Accounting Manager and Deputy Auditor-Controller for the Sacramento County (2016-2020), and Finance Director for the city of American Canyon (2020-2022). Lincoln earned a BS from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and a MACC from the University of Denver.

Cypress City Manager Peter Grant resigned last month (August 2025) after serving 11 years as city manager. He was appointed city manager in July 2014. Pete previously served as the Assistant City Manager for the city of Redondo Beach (December 2010-June 2014) and the Strategic Business Plan Administrator for the city of Irvine (October 2009-December 2010). He began is public service career as a Principal Analyst for the city of Huntington Beach (2000-2005. He was the Director of Development for The Olson Company for two years (January 2005-December 2006). Pete earned a BA from the University of California, Riverside and an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC).

Ashley Feeney was appointed City Manager for the city of Citrus Heights on January 30, 2022. Prior to joining the City of Citrus Heights as City Manager, Ash served as Assistant City Manager and Director of Community Development, Economic Development and Sustainability for the City of Davis. Ash earned a BA in economics from Humboldt State University.

Indian Wells veteran City Manager Chris Freeland has joined the faculty at California State University, San Bernardino as an Adjunct Professor in their MPA Program. He will continue to serve as city manager. Chris was appointed Indian Wells city manager in May 2019. He previously worked as a Field Representative for a member of the U.S. House of Representative (December 1996-February 2001), and for the City of West Covina starting in February 2001. Chris served as the West Covina city manager from September 2015 until March 2019. He earned a BA in political science and a BS in civil engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He also earned an MPA from California State University, Long Beach and a PhD in public policy and American politic from Claremont Graduate University.

Kelly Stachowicz is the Interim City Manager for the City of Davis. She has served as the Davis Assistant City Manager since 2015. Prior to joining the Davis city staff, Kelly worked in economic and workforce development in local government in the States of Connecticut and North Carolina. She earned a BA from Dartmouth College and an MPA from North Carolina University. Her husband is a faculty member at the University of California, Davis.

Huntington Beach’s annual airshow presents issues to the California Coastal Commission as it considers a permit for the proposed October event. The airshow failed to obtain permits from the Commission in recent years. The Commission’s staff proposed a onetime permit with a number of strict conditions and a fine of $274,758. Some have questioned whether the Commission is more concerned with raising money than dealing with the public interest.

Former Riverside city manager, Travis Hopkins is the new Huntington Beach City Manager. City of San Bruno Fire Chief Ari Delay will retire in October. He has served as Chief for the past 5 years. Ari began his career as a volunteer firefighter in the La Honda Fire Brigade before working tor the U.S. Forest Service in the Tahoe National Forest and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Mendocino. He started working in Half Moon Bay for San Mateo County in 1997. Alex McIntyre is the San Bruno city manager.

Former Placentia (2008-2015) and Azusa (2015- 2017) city manager Troy Butzlaff relocated to Idaho, where he works as a contract Special and Capital Projects Manager. He has service agreements with the Idaho cities of Carey, Victor, and Bellevue. The late Frank Tripepi used to refer to Troy as “Bootz.” Bootz served as Assistant City Manager in Indian Wells (1997-2002), much of that time with former City Manager George Watts, and Palm Springs (2002- 2008). Troy worked in La Puente (2017-2019) as the Director of Administrative Services. His self-employed firm, Athenian Partners, is located in Tetonia, Idaho. Troy is a Commissioner for the Teton County Joint Housing Authority. He earned a BA and MPA from the University of La Verne.

Paul E. Wolven (August 29, 1918-March 20, 2014) served 30-plus year in local government, 26 of those years as the City Manager for the City of Oxnard. Paul was 95 years old at his passing. He began his local government career as an Administrative Assistant for the City of Glendale from February 1949 to February 1953. Paul was the Oxnard city manager from February 1953 until his retirement in January 1979.

For the past nearly 37 years, Len Wood served as President of Len Wood & Associates. He is a former city manager for the cities of Rancho Palos Verdes and Claremont. He served as Interim City Manager for the Cities of La Palma, Signal Hill, Colton, Goleta and Hemet. Len has served as professor at the Graduate Center of Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Long Beach and at the Political Science Department of Cal Poly Pomona. Len earned an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC) and a BA in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach.

Fullerton, California, U.S.A., is the home to the first Korean fast-food restaurant. Founded in 1972, Lotteria has become a household name across Korea and parts of Asia, renowned for blending classic fast-food favorites with distinctive Asian influences. Lotteria operates hundreds of locations across Korea, Japan, and other parts of Asia, earning a loyal following for more than 50 years. The Fullerton opening marks the first step in the company’s broader plan to expand to the United States. Fullerton City Manager Eric Levitt left the city August 1st to become the San Bernardino city manager, and Eddie Manfro is the Fullerton Interim City Manager.

Shorts

  • Malibu issued its first Palisades Fire Rebuild Building Permit, allowing the rebuilding to begin.
  • Welcome to Carrie Rios to the Willdan Code Enforcement Division for California.
  • We are honored that while visiting family in California, retired Indian Wells and Atascadero city manager Wade McKinney checked in with a telephone call and let us know that he is three years cancer free and done with treatment…no more cancer drugs!
  • Former city managers Ray Kromer, John Bramble, Gregory Korduner and Fountain Valley Assistant City Manager Don Heinbuch recently played in a fundraising golf tournament for scholarships for children of first responders who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
  • Anthony Valdez is the first-ever Deputy City Administrator for the City of Santa Barbara working with City Administrator Kelly McAdoo.
  • Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC) past President (2008-2009), Laura A. Biery has been the West Hollywood Director of Economic Development since May 2023.
  • Kristy Buxkemper is the new city clerk for the City of Calabasas.
  • Pasadena City Manager Miguel Marquez served as an Associate Justice on the California Court of Appeal from 2012 to 2016 as one of seven justices who reviewed cases from the Superior Courts of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties.
  • Former Signal Hill city manager Hannah Shin-Heydorn, has served as the Stanton city manager since July 2022.
  • Long Beach City Manager Tom Modica earned an MPA from the University of Arizona.
  • Clara Miramontes has served as the city manager for the City of Perris since January 2021 after she was Interim City Manager from January 2019 to December 2020.
  • Karoline Leavitt was appointed White House Press Secretary in November 2024 at the age of 27, making her the youngest person to hold the position.
  • Paul E. Wolven served as the Oxnard city manager from February 1953 until January 1979.
  • Patrice Pastor is calling it quits while he weighs his options in Carmel-by-the-Sea after his proposed projects on $100 million in property have been delayed by the city for more than 6 years.
  • Many visitors gather in El Centro to attend the annual Bombay Beach Biennale held each August on the shores of the Salton Sea, draws artsy types from as far away as London, England.
  • Deanna Sessums has been a Public Affairs Manager for the League of California Cities since December 2001.
  • Jan McClintock previously served as the city manager for the City of Colusa and was terminated on a 3-2 city council vote in July 2012 *Chip Rerig is the City Administrator for Carmel-by-the-Sea in Monterey County.