Trackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 20: Issue No. 8
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
Riverside City Manager Mike Futrell was selected to be the new Pasadena city manager starting in May 2026. However, Mike has decided to stay as the Riverside city manager, where he has served since January 2023. Previously, he was the South San Francisco city manager from 2014 until he joined Riverside. Mike is a retired Captain with the United States Navy, where he served for 26 years. He was awarded a Bronze Star Medal during his deployment to Iraq.
South Pasadena City Manager Todd Hileman was awarded an upgraded compensation package in recognition of his professional performance during his first year as city manager. He is being praised for cleaning up city finances and for building a “fantastic” culture among the city staff. Todd served as Palm Desert city manager from March 2021 to March 2025 before joining South Pasadena. He earned a BS from Arizona State University and an MPA from Northern Illinois University.
Gerry Beaudin is the new city manager for the city of Alameda, appointed in April 2026. He will officially begin his new position at the end of June. Gerry is currently serving as the city manager for the city of Pleasanton. He started that job in 2022. He succeeds city manager Jennnifer Ott, who left the city to become the Hayward city manager in late 2025. Adam Politzer served as interim city manager during the recruitment process. Gerry also served as the Alameda Assistant City Manager from 2019 to 2022. He earned a BA in geography from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and an MS in planning from the University of Toronto.
Michael Jasso was hired in Sacramento as assistant city manager in 2018, one of four assistant city managers. Michael came to California from Chicago, where he led the Bureau of Economic Development for Cook County, Illinois. Former Sacramento city manager Howard Chan hired Michael. Effective April 20, 2026, Michael is no longer employed by Sacramento. He earned a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from The University of Texas, Austin.
Vacaville city manager Ms. Savita Chaudhary was appointed city manager in May 2025 and started the job in June. Savita previously served as the Assistant City Manager for the city of Fairfield. Previous to Fairfield she was a division manager in Vacaville. She succeeded city manager Aaron Busch, who retired in May 2025. Savita earned a BS in mathematics and an MS in statistics from Delhi University, India. She also earned an MPA from Golden Gate University.
Linda Haines, former Director of Building & Safety for the City of Downey, operates Haines Code Consulting. The Lakewood resident previously worked for the cities of Fullerton (February 1975-December 1990) and Cypress (January 1991-November 1997). She went to Downey in 1997 and led the Building & Safety Department for nearly 29 years. Linda is a past President of Soroptimist International of Downey (2023-2024).
Compton City Manager Willie Hopkins was placed on administrative leave on an April 7, 2026, vote. There have been claims of credit card misuse, lack of transparency and existing administrative turmoil. Assistant City Manager Triphenia Simmons resigned on December 31, 2025. Willie was appointed city manager in late 2023. He previously served as the Barstow city manager.
Jim McCann is the new interim city manager for the City of St. Helena following the departure of former city manager, Anil Comelo. Jim served as the Calistoga city manager from 1999 to 2010 and Mill Valley from 2010 to 2019. Jim is a 40-year resident of the Napa Valley. Prior to becoming a city manager, Jim worked in planning departments for about 15 years.
Tony Winney is the Interim City Manager for the City of Lemon Grove, following the departure of long-time City Manager Lydia Romero. Tony previously worked as Deputy City Manager in Rancho Cucamonga, and he was Assistant City Manager in Coronado and National City. He began his career working positions in Vista, La Mesa and Poway. Tony earned a BA and MPA from San Diego State University. Tony served as the President of Cal-ICMA (2020-2021).
City Manager Wendy Kaserman began her Santee tenure on October 23, 2025. She previously worked as the assistant city manager for the city of Poway (2016-2025). Before becoming the assistant city manager, Wendy was the Poway Director of Administrative Services. She served as the Assistant to the City Manager and as Fiscal Services Manager for San Marcos from 2013 to 2016. Wendy started her public service career as an Intern for the City of Casa Grande, Arizona, after which she worked for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. Before moving to San Marcos, she was a management aƒ, andnalyst for the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona. Wendy earned a BA from Arizona State University and an MPA from the University of Arizona.
Hue Quach is the new Assistant City Manager for the City of Chino Hills. He previously worked in Arcadia for 15 years, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena. He also worked in finance for Norwalk and Bellflower. He earned a BS and MPA from California State University, Los Angeles.
Shorts
- Former Hawaiian Gardens city administrator (1995-1997), Leonard Chaidez, who also served as Mayor and Council Member in Hawaiian Gardens, lives in Sugarloaf, an unincorporated community near Big Bear City.
- Weed city manager Tim Rundel has been working to produce a sitcom about life in the City of Weed, he describes as the “insanities and inanities” of small-town governance.
- Wes Wolf of Wolf & Company was spotted at Tommy Bahama’s on El Paseo in Palm Desert having lunch with Susan Simpson and Jack Simpson of Trackdown Management on April 21.
- The Arcata city council, where Merritt Perry is city manager, took action to approve a water rate increase and welcome “Weed Lounges.”
- Jackie Robinson Day was celebrated on Wednesday, April 15 by all of the teams of Major League Baseball (MLB).
- Ken Nordhoff, a Principal with HdL Companies, is a former city manager in San Rafael and Walnut Creek, and he was a recipient of the prestigious John H. Nail Award.
- Retired city manager Raymond B. Taylor, who earned a BA and Master’s from California State University, Chico, served the cities of Westlake Village, Malibu and Rolling Hills Estates and after retiring in August 2018 he worked interim assignments for the cities of Beverly Hills and Calabasas.
- Brian Stuart Goodell, a UCLA alumnus and a two-time Olympic swimming champion and world record holder in the late 1970s, is an elected Mayor and Council Member for the city of Mission Viejo.
- Sam Escobar, who previously served as the city manager for the City of Orange Cove (2011- 2017), where Dario Dominguez has been the Interim City Manager since April 2025 following the termination of City Manager Daniel Parra, has been re-hired by the city.
- Win Westfall, who worked as city engineer for seven California cities, served as the National President for The American Public Works Association (APWA) in 1997.
- HdL Companies Principal Bret Plumlee is a former city manager for the cities of Los Alamitos and La Puente.
- Best wishes to Rich Pierce for a swift and full recovery from his “pool maintenance” injuries.