Trackdown ManagementTrackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 20: Issue No. 15

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

Sonoma’s Interim City Manager Cristine (Reid) Alilovich is the new Sonoma City Manager. She has served as Interim since April. Cristine was an Employee Benefits Manager for the County of Sonoma starting in 2002. She left Sonoma County in December 2010 to take the Assistant Director of Finance position for the County of Marin. In September 2015 Cristine became the Assistant City Manager for the City of San Rafael, and she was elevated to City Manager in June 2023. Cristine earned a BA in psychology from Rutgers University and an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC).

Glendale’s new Community Development Director Rachel Friede Dimond began her public services career as a Planner for the Town of Vail, Colorado. She came to California in April 2013 to work for the city of West Hollywood. Rachel served the people of West Hollywood for a little more than 7 years as a Senior Planner and Acting Long Range Planning Manager. She took the Assistant City Manager position in the city of Compton starting in June 2022. After leaving Compton in January 2023, Rachel went to work for the City of Ventura in May 2023. She became the Community Development Director in February 2024. She left Ventura in August 2026 to work as the Director in the City of Glendale. Rachel earned a BA from The George Washington University, and a Master of Urban Planning from New York University.

Transtech Principal Robert Quintero worked for the city of Commerce prior to 2001. He served as Public Works Director and as Legislative Advocate for the city. He also worked two stints with the Southern California Edison Company. He was a Regional Manager from April 2001 to October 2005, and he worked as a Director/Manager of Government Relations from August 2012 to September 2023, when he left Edison to work for Transtech. Bob earned a BA from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and an MBA from the University of Redlands. He was recently in the Coachella Valley for the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) annual conference.

Matthew R. “Matt” Mogensen is the new city of Marina city manager after serving two years as the city manager for the city of Pacific Grove. He has succeeded retired city manager Layne Long, who served 13 years as the city of Marina city manager. Matt, previous to his Pacific Grove service, worked as the Assistant City Manager in Marina (2018-2024). Before that he worked 10 years for the city of Fountain Valley in Southern California, where he served as Assistant to the City Manager, and from 2015 to 2018, as Planning and Building Director. Matt earned an MPA from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Redding has been operating with Interim City Manager Michael Webb since the unexpected death of City Manager Will Tarbox on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the age of 56. Will passed away following a cardiac arrest. He had only been city manager for five months. Redding Mayor Mike Littau, favors appointing the interim city manager to the full-time position.

A comprehensive executive search conducted by the Tripepi Smith Talent Solutions (TSTS) team recruited Alicia Day to fill the city of Newark’s position of Recreation and Community Services Director. Most recently, Alicia has served as the Parks, Recreation and Community Education Director for the Town of Littleton, Massachusetts. Alicia is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional and graduate of the National Recreation and Park Association Director School. In Newark she will work with City Manager David Benoun.

West Sacramento Sustainability Manager Ryan Burnett addressed resident and city council concerns at a workshop August 19 regarding the selection process and proposed rate increases for refuse disposal services. The city contracted with Waste Management (WM) for many years and their contract expired in June. After evaluating three proposals, the city selected Green Waste, a San Jose-based company. Aaron Laurel is the West Sacramento city manager.

Rodolfo Aguayo is the new Assistant City Manager for the City of Menifee working with City Manager Armando G. Villa. He will supervise city departments, including Community Services, City Clerk, Information Technology, and Human Resources. Rodolfo most recently worked for Imperial County, where he served the County’s Executive Leadership Team. He supported the County Executive Office and the Board of Supervisors. Rodolfo earned a BS from San Diego State University.

David Lee Harris, born in July 1943, served as the city of Dixon city manager for 19 years, from June 1978 until July 1997. Dave previously worked for the city of Fairfield, starting in September 1971 as an Administrative Assistant and as Assistant City Manager starting in January 1973. He earned a BS and MPA from Brigham Young University. After retiring from municipal government, Dave did some professional executive recruiting. Dave is 81 years old.

Karen A. Herrera is a retired Duarte Deputy City Manager, and currently serves as Senior Client Relations Associate for California Consulting. Karen is currently Vice Chair of the USC City/County Management Fellowship Board serving the Sol Price School of Public Policy. Karen was born in Pasadena and raised in Monrovia. Prior to her final time with Duarte, her career path took her to assignments with the cities of Downey, Orange, Hawaiian Gardens and Bell Gardens. Karen earned a BA from California State University, Fullerton, and an MPA from California State University, Long Beach.

Six Santa Monica city employees were paid more than half a million dollars last year, according to information compiled by Transparent California. Senior Fire Inspector Ryan A. Demirdjian took home $605,011 not including benefits. Prevention Battalion Chief Sean J. van Sluis took home $601,686 in salary and wages, and an additional $84,722.72 in benefits. Among the 18 city employees who took home more than $500,000 in salary and benefits, were 12 firefighters and 8 police officers, who were all paid large sums in overtime pay. Santa Monica has 71 municipal workers who took home more than $350,000, including 68 firefighters and police officers. The other three were former City Manager Susan Cline, former City Attorney Doug Sloan and Chief Deputy City Attorney Jenna K. Taggart.

Rob Fredericks, Executive Director and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) will retire at the end of December 2027. He shared this early so the Housing Authority Commission can forge a smooth, multi-year leadership transition. Rob has been with the Authority for nearly 30 years; coming to work for the agency in December 1996 as Deputy Executive Director. He took the top job in January 2017. He is an alumnus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Retired former Carlsbad, Bellflower and Long Beach resident Marlene Townes, relocated her residence to Spring Hill, Tennessee, near Nashville, in 2023. She previously worked for the city of Bellflower, Willdan and the California Special Districts Association (CSDA). According to LinkedIn, Marlene earned a BA in Business/Corporate Communications from the California State University, Sacramento. Marlene is a graduate of Long Beach’s Robert A. Millikan High School.

Monterey Chief of Police Dave Hober will retire with his last day of service being Sunday, November 15, 2026. He served in the FBI, and San Jose Police Department before joining the Monterey Police Department. Dave has been Chief since July 2015. He earned a BA and an MPA & Masters in Criminal Justice from San Jose State University.

Tim Chapa retired as City Manager of the City of Sanger in 2023. He was previously city manager for the cities of Arvin and Rio Vista. Tim worked part-time as the District Administrator for the CALWA Recreation & Park District in Fresno and installed a dual-pitch Musco futsal court.

Garden Grove City Manager Lisa Kim will retire on November 2, 2026. Lisa joined the Garden Grove staff in 2016 as Community and Economic Development Director. She became city manager in 2023.

Shorts:

  • Sausalito city manager Elaine Forbes (53), former San Francisco Port Director, resigned in the wake of her bizarre arrest in the Sausalito Yacht Harbor, and Brandon Phipps has been appointed Interim City Manager.
  • Fresno Public Works Director Scott Mozier will retire after 24 years with the department and serving as Director since January 2014.
  • Stockton City Clerk Katherine Roland submitted her resignation, effective September 26, following her service as city clerk from May 21, 2014, first as interim and then as city clerk in November 12, 2024.
  • Donald R. Duckworth of Duckworth Consulting, who is an alumnus of Bakersfield Junior College and earned a BA and MPA from California State University, Northridge, held city manager positions in Calabasas, Arcadia and Visalia, and executive positions in the cities of Santa Clarita, San Clemente, Oceanside and he started his public service career in 1971 in Simi Valley.
  • Former Baldwin Park City Council Member Ricardo Pacheco, 63, who spent more than 20 years on the Council until his resignation in 2020, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for taking bribes, and the FBI unearthed $63,000 in his backyard.
  • Pasadena City Council Member Rick Cole is among the very few who have gone from elected official to city management and then returned to being an elected official.
  • After working as a Safeway cashier (2011-2015) and completing an economic development internship in Temecula (2015-2016), Kayla Charters joined the Menifee city staff in Economic Development in July 2016 and became the Menifee Economic Development Director in February 2026.
  • California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (CJPIA) Director of Finance Jason McBride, who believes in crosstraining and staff versatility, has celebrated his fifth anniversary with the Authority.
  • Government Business Review Magazine named Murrieta City Manager Justin Clifton the 2026 City Manager of the Year.
  • Working with City Manager Andrew Firestine, Rick Sanchez is the new Chief of Police for Cathedral City replacing the retired Chief George Crum.
  • Willdan Engineering’s Adel Freij has been out of the office on medical leave, hopefully to return soon.
  • Rene McNish, a native of El Centro, a U. S. Marine Corps veteran, and a graduate of Columbia Southern University, is the new Deputy Chief of Police for the El Centro Police Department.
  • Alan E. Harry was Assistant to the City Manager in Half Moon Bay in the 1980s until he transitioned his career to Telecommunications & Cable Management in Truckee in 1992 and worked as the General Manager of WebStar Cable Television until 2001.
  • Phillip Hawes, who earned an AA from the College of the Sequoias, and a BA and MA from Fresno State College, served as the City Manager in Indian Wells (1968-1970) and Indio (January 1971 – December 1990).
  • Pamela J. Nicolai, who is fully retired from working in the public service, work as City Manager in San Rafael in the December 1985 until the early 1990s, and as the General Manager (1995-2004) for the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD).