Trackdown ManagementTrackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 19: Issue No. 13

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

Folsom Planning Manager Desmond Parrington underlines “local control” and “home rule” advocates while pointing out continued efforts by the State Legislature to establish new housing-related mandates. Senate Bill 79 would require many local communities to approve additional housing developments near train and bus stations. Cities could come up with alternative ideas but must follow specific rules and the state has final approval.

Poway Assistant City Manager Wendy Kaserman is the new Santee city manager. Wendy has been the Poway assistant city manager since 2106. Santee has been without a city manager since City Manager Marlene Best was dismissed in April and Gary Halbert was retained as Interim City Manager. She previously worked for the city of San Marcos, the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona and Casa Grande, Arizona. Wendy also worked for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns from September 2002 to 2005. She graduated from San Marcos High School and attended classes at Palomar Community College. Wendy earned a BS from Arizona State University and an MPA from the University of Arizona.

Isleton City Manager Jon Kennedy was seeking an $800,000 loan to help avoid a potential city bankruptcy or disincorporation. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors rejected the request. Isleton currently owes more than $4.7 million to several creditors.

Newport Beach has hired Seimone Jurjis as its next city manager, effective December 27, 2025. Seimone will succeed City Manager Grace Leung, who retire after a 30-year career in local government, including seven years as Newport Beach city manager. He has served as Assistant City Manager since 2023, bringing more than three decades of combined publicand private-sector experience to his new job. Seimone joined the Newport Beach city staff in 2011. Retired city manager Shannon Yauchzee reminds us that Seimone is a registered civil engineer and began his career working with Willdan Engineering starting in 1993. Before joining the Newport Beach staff, he worked for the cities of West Hollywood and El Segundo. He earned a BS in civil engineering from California State University, Fullerton.

Former Community Development Director in Lakewood (February 2019-Septemeber 2024) and Bell Gardens (December 2012-January 2019), Abel Avalos is closing out his first year and about to celebrate his first anniversary as city manager for the City of Artesia. Abel began his Artesia tenure in October 2024. He started his public service career with the City of Anaheim in 1996. He earned a BA from California State University, Long Beach, California and an MPP from the Kennedy School at Harvard University.

City Manager Melissa Stevenson Diaz of Redwood City will retire in December 2025. Melissa was appointed city manager in October 2015; ten years ago. Prior to joining the Redwood City staff, Melissa was the Assistant City Manager for the city of Mountain View from September 2010 and Fremont between June 2006 and August 2010. She worked as the Assistant to the City Manager in Morgan Hill from February 2001 to June 2006. She worked a total of 15 years for Morgan Hill. Melissa earned a BA from Mills College in Oakland and an MA in public administration from San José State University. Melissa was Student Body President as Mill College. She is an ICMA Credentialed Manager. Her regional leadership includes serving as the Chair for the San Mateo County City Manager’s Association in 2020, as a Management Committee member for the San Mateo County PreHospital Emergency Medical Services Joint Powers Authority, and as a member of San Mateo County’s Shared Prosperity Council. Melissa is married to retired Fremont city manager Fred Diaz.

As of August 2025, four California city managers have the name “Jim.” James R. “Jim” Lewis of Atascadero, Jim Vanderpool of Anaheim, Jim Schaad of Marysville, and Jim Goodwin of the Town of Paradise. Former city managers Jim McCann of Mill Valley, who retired in February 2020, Jim James of Twentynine Palms and former Banning city manager Jim Smith. In 1932 Sacramento city manager James Dean was the first President of the City Managers’ Department of the League of California Cities. Jim Fales of Redwood City was the President in 1972-1973, and Atascadero’s Jim Lewis is a past President too.

Former Palmdale City Manager Ronda Perez formally withdrew her name from consideration for the City of Malibu city manager position after she was offered the job. Prior to her Palmdale tenure, Ronda served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Lancaster. Ronda is an ICMA Credentialed Manager. She earned an MPA from California State University, Long Beach, California. With her withdrawal from consideration, Ambassador Candace Bond (Ret.) will continue serving as Interim City Manager.

Placerville has a new city manager. David R. Warren, the city’s assistant city manager and Finance Director, will replace city manager Cleve Morris, who will retire effective October 3. David joined the city staff in 1994 as an accounting assistant. He left Placerville in 1998 to be the Chief Fiscal Officer for the Gold Trail Union School District. David returned to the city in 2002 as Assistant Finance Director. He was elevated to Finance Director in 2004 and served in that position until 2018 when he became Assistant City Manager too. David earned a BS in accountancy from California State University, Sacramento.

It was reported in the Los Angeles Times by writers David Zahniser and Noah Goldberg that nearly 300 Los Angeles city employees were saved from being laid off following two major unions singing off on proposed cost-cutting measures. The proposed layoffs would have affected 222 civilian LAPD employees and 63 jobs in planning and civilian investigators. City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo said that the agreements reduced the number of layoffs to 75.

Shorts

  • Former Ukiah city manager Candace Horsley is a member of the seven-member commission for the Mendocino Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo).
  • Douglas K. Clark was the Larkspur city manager in 1990, and Douglas K. Clark served as Larkspur city manager from 1986 -1989, before he became the Escondido city manager in June 1989.
  • Former Los Banos and Ceres city manager, Alex C. Terrazas has worked as a Client Experience Advocate for HdL Companies in Brea since April 2024.
  • Anne M. Haraksin, Deputy City Manager for the city of La Mirada, joined the La Mirada city staff in May 2015 after working for the city of Diamond Bar.
  • ICMA Credentialed Manager, Retired, Gary D. Milliman served as the Talent, Oregon city manager from January 2024 until March 2025.
  • Artesia Deputy City Manager Melissa Burke earned a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and an MPA from California State University, Long Beach.
  • Simi Valley, where Samantha C. Argabrite is the city manager, is adopting a residential preferential parking permit program.
  • A former State prison has officially reopened in California City as an ICE detention center.
  • Half Moon Bay city manager Matthew Chidester serves of the Advisory Board for the Local Governance Summer Institute at Stanford University.
  • Teri Black, owner of Teri Black & Company, earned an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC).
  • Dan Rich, former Mountain View city manager (July 2011 to December 2019) and Campbell city manager (May 2005 to July 2011), earned an MPP from the Kennedy School at Harvard University.
  • Pamela Wu served as the city manager for the City of Cupertino from August 2022 to Augusts 2025.
  • Last information indicates that retired Fremont city manager Fred Diaz, who previously served as city manager for the cities of Tracy and Indio, lives in San Jose and enjoys being a spectator at his daughter Alana’s soccer games.
  • Christopher Lopez is the city manager for the city of California City.
  • Kevin Duggan, former Mountain View and Campbell city manager and past President of the City Managers’ Department of the League of California Cities (2008-2009), is an ICMA/LCC Senior Advisor.
  • Former El Monte Public Works and Utilities Director and Assistant City Manager and Lynwood Director of Public Works, Salvador Mendez, is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Palmdale.
  • Timothy Leroy Lincecum, nicknamed “The Freak”, who won two Cy Young Awards while pitching for the San Francisco Giants, turned 41 on his June 15 birthday.
  • California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, who is a CPA, is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Rochester Institute of Technology.