Trackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 19: Issue No. 14
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
Pacifica City Manager Kevin Woodhouse will retire next March. He has served as the Pacifica city manager since October 2017. Kevin will serve as the president of the California City/County Management Association in 2026. Prior to joining the Pacifica city staff, Kevin worked for the city of Mountain View and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
City Manager Sean Grayson stepped away from his Nevada City position effective September 28. Sean started his public service career in December 1994 as a firefighter with the California Fire Service. He rose in that organization over nearly 20 years to a battalion chief rank. In June 2001, he went to work for the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. In December 2018, Sean was hired to serve as interim city administrator for Rialto. From May 2014 to February 2022, Sean was the Rialto fire chief. He was appointed to the city manager position for Nevada City in February 2022. Sean earned a BS from Excelsior University and an MS from Grand Canyon University.
Patch writer Miranda Ceja reports that Dana Point city manager Mike Killebrew announced his retirement effective December 30, after 18 years with the city. Mike, historically the first local resident to serve as city manager, was appointed city manager in March 2020, following city manager Mark Denny’s resignation in early 2020. Mark resigned to take the city manager position with the city of Fontana. He left that position after serving about 18 months to take a private sector job closer to his San Clemente home. Mark had served as Dana Point’s city manager starting in 2017, following the retirement of City Manager Doug Chotkevys. Dave relocated to Hayden, Idaho, where he has served on the city’s Public Safety Commission in 2024, and the Parks, Recreation and Community Forestry Commission from February 2023 to November 2024.
Peter L. Kim will be the next city manager for the City of La Palma. Peter is a former La Palma city council member and Mayor. In April, the City Council appointed retired Norwalk and Bellflower City Manager Michael Egan as interim city manager. He will continue to serve until Peter’s appointment becomes effective October 27. Peter. a long-time La Palma resident, served two terms on the Council, including as Mayor. He is currently employed as the chief communications officer for the California State Board of Equalization. The new city manager is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine with a BA in political science. He is certified in Korean by the Los Angeles Unified School District. He attended and graduated from Walker Junior High School and Kennedy High School in La Palma. Former La Palma city manager Conal McNamara is the new city manager for the city of Whittier.
Arcata City Manager Merritt Perry tackled a suspect, Shaine Scott Haugen, who attempted to approach the city council dais during a meeting on September 17, 2025. The city manager and a police officer, subdued the man, who was found to be in possession of multiple weapons, including a blackpainted Nerf gun, a butterfly knife, and pepper spray. A police officer confiscated a partially consumed 40-ounce beer bottle from the would-be assailant that was modified to resemble a Molotov cocktail. A witness said that the scene was “traumatic” and praised how the city manager intervened from his desk. The incident occurred just days after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, fueling fears of escalating political violence.
Former Cypress City Manager Peter Grant will replace Yorba Linda City Manager Mark Pulone, who retired at the end of September. Pete is expected to take office in October with a projected salary of $315,000 annually. Peter earned a BA from the University of California, Riverside and an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC). Yorba Linda Assistant City Manager Dave Christian served as acting city manager until Peter officially assumed the Yorba Linda city manager position.
Daryel Dunston, 42, is the new City of Davis city manager. He took office on September 15. Daryel is the former assistant city manager in the City of Santa Rosa. He previously worked for the City of Oakland as a senior policy advisor to the vice mayor, a senior planner in the human services department, and as the City’s first homelessness administrator. He began his public service career as a firefighter and emergency medical technician in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Daryel earned a BA from the University of Virginian and an MPA from the University of California Berkeley.
Placerville Assistant City Manager and Finance Director David R. Warren is the new Placerville City Manager. City Manager Cleve Morris is retiring. Cleve has been city manager since 2011. David has worked for Placerville since 1994, with a gap when he worked for the Gold Trail Union School District. He returned to Placerville in 2002 as the Assistant Finance Director. David has been Assistant City Manager and Finance Director since 2018. David earned a BS in accountancy from California State University, Sacramento. Tehachapi has been known as a “train town” for many years. The Union Pacific Railroad made it official in June 2025. In the Historic Tehachapi Railroad Depot and Museum the railroad presented a formal proclamation made the city an official “Train Town USA” city. The honor made Tehachapi one of only 134 cities across the nation with the official designation. The Tehachapi city manager is Greg Garrett.
San Ramon Chief of Police Denton Carlson will retire in December 2025 after a law enforcement career of more than 27 years. He was appointed San Ramon Chief in July 2022. He began his law enforcement career in 1998 as a Deputy Sheriff for Contra Costa County. The Chief was recognized as the 2016 Employee of the Year by the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce. The San Ramon city manager is Steven Spedowfski.
Gustine City Manager Soknirom Than submitted his resignation, effective October 28, after serving in the position for just over 20 months. He was hired in February 2024. He came to Gustine in Merced County from the City of Los Banos, where he served as Public Works Director. The Gustine city manager position was previously held by Anna Nicholas, who stepped down in August 2023. Administrative Services Director Melanie Correa served as interim city manager until her hours were maxed out, and longtime professional city manager Brad Kilger was appointed as a temporary replacement. Brad’s tenure only lasted one meeting before Soknirom Than was hired.
Santa Rosa City Manager Maraskeshia Smith is the next Sacramento city manager effective on January 5, 2026. Maraskeshia previously worked more than 9-years for the City of Cincinnati, Ohio, including nearly three years as the Director of Public Services. She also worked as Assistant City Administrator for the City of Oakland (July 2018-May 2020) and Deputy City Manager for the City of Stockton (May 2020-December 2021). She has served as the Santa Rosa city manager since January 2022. Maraskeshia is currently a member of the Board for Women Leading Government, and she is a Foundation Board Member at Sonoma State University. She earned a BS from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond Chief of Police Bisa French has notified City Manager Shasa Curl of her plans to officially retire effective January 16, 2026. Bisa has served the city of Richmond more than 27 years. She was appointed Chief of Police in 2020. She was a 22-year old-single mother when she joined the police department in 1998. She worked with the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and assistant chief. Bisa was appointed Assistant Chief in 2016. Her appointment as Chief came during the time of national rioting and looting following the death of George Floyd.
State Officials in California accused the city of Norwalk of violating state law regarding housing homeless populations. The city agreed to repeal an ordinance that bans emergency shelters and other facilities for unhoused people. California Governor Gavin Newsom lectured city officials saying that the city’s ordinance was “…inexcusable…” The Norwalk city manager is Jesus M. Gomez. He was appointed to the position in January 2018. Ozzie Ramos is the Norwalk Deputy City Manager. City officials contend that the city did a great deal for the region’s massive homeless population, and yet did not receive significant state funding assistance. Some California cities have cancelled Latino festival programs for fear that Federal Law Enforcement will attend looking to arrest illegal aliens. This fear, of course, means that local law-abiding taxpayers will miss out on usual programs and festivals. Though Moreno Valley city manager Brian Mohan warned of potential concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities, the city decided to move forward with community events. Other cities, including Perris, canceled Latino festivals due to the fear of ICE activities.
Shorts
- Retired City Manager Ronald Molendyk and longtime City Engineer Bill Pagett are scheduled to go with the Corvett Super Sports Club on a 3-day road trip to Solvang and Buelton.
- Tulare Recreation Supervisor Stephanie Velasquez, a graduate of California State University, Fresno, previously worked for the City of Lindsay as a recreation coordinator (2021-September 2025).
- Lyndsie Buskirk recently celebrated her 10th Anniversary of service to the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (CJPIA).
- William J. Malinen, Jennifer Hanson and Mark Scott are former Lincoln city managers.
- Eloy, Arizona city manager David Malewitz is the new assistant city manager in the city of Paso Robles.
- Orange City manager Jared Hildenbrand said that, though a consultant report shows the city doing business as usual is on the way toward bankruptcy, the City of Orange is not on the verge of bankruptcy in three years.
- Morgan Rattigan is the new city of Napa community development director.
- Daryel Dunston began his tenure as city manager for the City of Davis on September 15, 2025.
- Members of the Eureka City Council have discussed the issue of investments by the CalPERS Board in businesses that contribute to the Palestine-Israeli conflict, and whether CalPERS should divest themselves of such business investments.
- Chico City Council Member Mike O’Brien, a commander of the Butte InterAgency Narcotics Task Force and former chief of police for Chico, is the new interim town manager for the Town of Paradise.