City Manager G. Harold Duffey has appointed Kerry D. Breen to serve as Interim Assistant City Manager for the City of Brentwood, effective immediately. Mr. Breen’s appointment will support the City Council and executive leadership team as the organization begins strategic planning and focuses on core service delivery in the first quarter of 2026.
Kerry D. Breen brings more than two decades of public-sector financial and administrative leadership to the role. Since joining the City of Brentwood in 2003 after starting a career in public accounting as a Senior Auditor, Mr. Breen has held a series of key positions, including Accounting Manager (2005–2011), Assistant Director of Finance and Information Systems (2011–2016), and, since 2016, Director of Finance & Information Systems / City Treasurer.
“Kerry has been instrumental in building and sustaining Brentwood’s strong fiscal foundation,” said City Manager G. Harold Duffey. “His financial expertise, collaborative leadership style, and thoughtful, data-driven approach have helped establish our reputation for long-term stability and will be critical as we set strategic priorities and align resources for 2026 and beyond.”
Over the course of a 20-plus-year tenure with the City of Brentwood, Mr. Breen has helped shape many of the financial tools and strategies that anchor the City’s stability today. In 2007, Mr. Breen developed Brentwood’s in-house Ten-Year General Fund Fiscal Model, which has guided decision-making through the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the City’s transition from rapid development to near buildout. That disciplined approach to long-term planning has contributed to the City’s current “AA+” credit rating from Standard & Poor’s.
Mr. Breen has also led pension and retiree medical prefunding strategies adopted by the City Council that have saved tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, and overseen multiple bond refinancing’s that helped generate resources for major community amenities, including the Downtown Library and the Sand Creek Sports Complex, currently under construction. In 2011, the Contra Costa Grand Jury recognized Brentwood’s financial leadership and transparency in its report titled “Brentwood – A City Addressing Reality,” highlighting the City’s proactive fiscal management.
The recruitment process for the next Assistant City Manager will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the executive leadership team remains committed to maintaining high-quality services, responsible financial stewardship, and clear communication with the community.