Trackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 20: Issue No. 6
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
Michelle Bigelow is the first appointed City Clerk for the City of Morgan Hill since its incorporation in 1906. Morgan Hill has had elected City Clerks. The local voters changed the City Clerk position in 2018 from elected to appointed. The selection has gone from a popularity contest to finding a candidate with professional qualifications. Michelle has worked for Morgan Hill since March 2008 when she joined the city staff as a Municipal Services Assistant.
Veteran city manager Garrett Evans has taken the Interim City Manager assignment for the City of Pinole following the conclusion of City Manager Kelcey Young’s tenure. Kelcey stepped down in November 2025, after serving in the position for about 15 months.
Chief of Police Melissa Klawuhn served as Acting City Manager for approximately three months. Garrett worked for the city of Pittsburg starting in 1997. He was appointed Pittsburg assistant city manager in 2011 and served in that post for nearly 8 years. He became Pittsburg City Manager in 2019 and retired in September 2025. Garrett earned a BA from the University of Arizona and an MPA from USC.
Aaron Schulze is the new city of Vista Economic Development Manager starting this month (March 2026). Aaron has worked for the cities of Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove and Orange. He replaces former Director Larry Vaupel, who retired. Aaron is a member of CALED and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Aaron earned a BA and MBA from California State University, Fullerton. Aaron is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.
Carrie Wright began her tenure as the city manager for the city of Nevada City on March 2, 2026. Carrie was selected following a recruitment process that included 58 applicants. Carrie succeeds city manager Joan Phillipe, who served as the Interim City Manager since October 2025, following the departure of former manager Sean Grayson. Carrie previously worked for the city of Stockton, the University of California, Davis and Cal Expo. Shortly after leaving Nevada City, Sean accepted the California City Interim City Manager position, starting in January 2026.
Fullerton’s new city manager is Eddie Manfro. Eddie has been working as the city’s “interim” city manager. Eddie began his public service career in January 1992 as a Personnel Analyst for the city of Alhambra. He a similar position with the city of Hawthorne in October 1994, and in 1998 he moved to the Santa Monica Human Resources Department. Eddie became the Human Resources Manager in La Mesa in 2003, before he took the Director’s position in Human Resources and Risk Management for the city of Westminster. Eddie became the Westminster Assistant City Manager in 2011, and he was appointed City Manager in July 2012 and served more than a dozen years in that post, leaving in March 2020. Eddie earned a BA from the University of Redlands and an MPA from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Salvador Mendez is the new Palmdale city manager succeeding City Manager Ronda Perez. Sara Gallagher and Nardy Lopez continued as the Palmdale Deputy City Managers. Sal has served as the Interim City Manager since September 2, 2025. Prior to his “interim” assignment, Sal was the Assistant City manager. Sal was named the 2024 Top Leader of the Year in the Public Sector by the Southern California Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). He earned a BA in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and an MPA from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
There are three city managers of California cities named Peter. Peter Grant has been the city manager for the city of Yorba Linda since October 2025. Since January 2021, Peter Pirnejad is the city manager for Foster City, and Peter L. Kim began his tenure as the La Palma city manager in October 2025. Peter Castro is the Assistant City Manager for Rancho Cucamonga and Peter James is Deputy City Manager for the City of Santa Monica. Peter Kim is a former Chief of Staff for former State Assembly Member Tyler Diep, and Peter is a former twoterm Mayor and Council Member for the City of La Palma. The late Peter B. Feenstra served as city manager for the cities of Artesia, Bellflower, South El Monte and Westminster.
Janisse Quiñones, the Chief Executive Officer and engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, is resigning from her position at the end of March to go to work in Puerto Rico help build an electric power grid. Janisse was born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She was hired in Los Angeles from an executive position with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG & E). Los Angeles city officials defended her $750,000 annual salary.
Brentwood appointed Terrance Davis as Assistant City Manager. He was serving as the Director of Public Works for the City of Berkeley. He previously served the cities of Vallejo, Sacramento and Compton. This new assignment has him working with Brentwood city manager G. Harold Duffey.
Sonoma is recruiting for a new City Manager and Director of Finance. City Manager David Guhin is leaving the city to work as the County of Sonoma’s Chief Executive Officer. His last day with the city is April 5. Former Finance Director Prapti Aryal joined the city staff in May 2024. She previously served as Director of Finance for the city of Clayton, and she worked in Finance for the City of Napa from 2016 to 2023.
Former Lodi City Council Member Shakir Khan pleaded no contest to 71 felonies and 6 misdemeanors as a result of voter fraud he committed in 2022. Of the 77 counts, 41 were related to illegal gambling, money laundering, tax evasion and grand theft. 14 counts are specifically related to election fraud.
Founding members of Women Leading Government (WLG) include Penelope Culbreth-Graft, Tamara Letourneau, Cathy Standiford, Roberta Burns, Jenny Haruyama, Irma Hernandez, Debra Rose, Jan Perkins, Sarona Vivanco, and Nancy Hetrick. This group was listed in the April 2007 issue of the City Manager Newsletter by Trackdown.
At the time of incorporation, the City of Lakewood’s entire four-person staff included: City Administrator Robert Andersen, City Attorney John Sanford Todd, City Clerk Nita Birch and Executive Secretary Director Guy Halferty. Starting 2026 Thaddeus McCormack is the city manager, and Steve Skolnik is the city attorney. The late Howard Chambers served as the Lakewood city manager from June 1976 until his retirement in August 2017. Michael Stover worked for Lakewood for 30 years and retired as the Assistant City Manager.
Glendora has a new city manager. He is Riverside Chief Financial Officer Adam Raymond. Adam is scheduled to begin in Glendora on September 4. Prior to his Riverside experience, Adam worked in Rancho Palos Verdes, San Bernardino, and for a private firm in Rancho Cucamonga. Adam earned a BS in accounting from the University of La Verne, and an MPA from California Baptist University.
Shorts
- Alexandra Orologas, Assistant City Manager for El Cerrito, was awarded the John H. Nail Memorial Award in February 2026.
- Yamaha Motor Corp. is leaving its Cypress headquarters after nearly 50 years and relocating to Kennesaw, Georgia.
- Take a good look at the amazing photography galleries presented by retired city of Coronado city manager Mark Ochenduszko at markochenduszko.com/
- Costa Mesa Finance Director Carol Molina has left her position abruptly and is no longer employed by the city as of March 9, 2026.
- Under the leadership of Chief Financial Officer Greg Morley, the city of Ventura Finance Department was recognized for excellence in budgeting and reporting by the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) and the Government Finance Offers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).
- Henry Garcia served as the Moreno Valley city manager from 2011 to 2013 following Bob Gutierrez’s Moreno Valley city manager tenure.
- Bakersfield has a new Chief of Police as Assistant Chief Brent Stratton, a 22-year department veteran, was selected to replace retiring Chief Greg Terry.
- Temecula Assistant City Manager Kevin Hawkins will retire May 1, 2026, after a 35-years public service career and several years as the Director of Parks and Recreation for San Bernardino (2013-2021).
- Retired Wasco city manager Larry Pennell earned a BA and Master’s degree from San Jose State University.
- Chris Jensen is the new Palo Alto City Attorney, succeeding Molly Stump, who retired after 15 years with the city.
- Starting with Visalia in 2010 as a Recreation Manager, Jeannie Greenwood was appointed Parks and Recreation Director in October 2015. Monterey Parks & Recreation Director Nicole Banks previously worked as the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation & Culture for the City of Newton, Massachusetts.
- Culver City has appointed former Long Beach Director of Technology & Innovation and Chief Information Officer, Lea Eriksen, to a Senior Assistant City Manager position.
- Jackie Rocco, city manager for the city of West Hollywood, earned a BA and MA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
- Past MMASC President Laura Biery is the Economic Development Director for the city West Hollywood.