Trackdown Management’s City Manager Newsletter: Volume No. 20: Issue No. 4
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
Effective April 6, Hercules City Manager Dante Hall will become the Monterey City Manager. He previously had positions with the cities of Foster City and Pasadena. Retired Monterey County Administrator Lew Bauman will continue working as interim city manager until Dante takes office in April. Dante earned a BA from Azusa Pacific University, and an MPA from City University of New York. He is an ICMA Credentialed Manager.
Cathedral City is in the process of appointing the City’s Director of Community and Economic Development, Andrew “Andy” Firestine, to be their next city manager. Though Andy is a native Californian, he spent the first 16 years of his working career in Colorado with a Regional Council of Governments and the cities of Colorado Springs and Centennial. He relocated to California’s Coachella Valley in 2019 as the assistant city manager for Palm Desert. In 2022 he took the director of development position in the City of Escondido before joining the Cathedral City staff in September 2023. Anne Ambrose, who has served as interim city manager since the retirement of City Manager Charlie McClendon in September 2025, will transition to her former position of assistant city manager.
Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Chief David L. Fender passed away on February 6. Dave is a former commander of the Lakewood Sheriff’s Substation. He began his law enforcement career as a pre-academy deputy at the Men’s Central Jail in 1974. Dave worked 43-years for the Sheriff’s Department. He became a sergeant in 1986 and worked station assignments in Pico Rivera, Industry and Walnut Stations. Dave was promoted to Lieutenant in 1996 and worked assignments in the Custody Division and at Lakewood Station. He became captain in 2002 and served as the commander of Lakewood Station. He was promoted to commander of the Correctional Service Division, until March 2014, when he became the chief of the Custody Services Division, where he worked until his retirement in March 2017.
Sonoma City Manager David Guhin has been selected to be the next Sonoma County chief administrative officer. David began his public service career as an assistant engineer for Stafford County, Virginia in 1998. He served 18 years with the city of Santa Rosa. He was the assistant city manager when he left the city in 2020 to take the executive director of government operations post with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. He was appointed city manager for the city of Sonoma in May 2023. David earned a BS in civil engineering from South Dakota Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota, and a Master of Organization Development from Sonoma State University, Extended Education.
Kelcey Young is the new city manager for the city of Madisonville, Texas. Kelcey has a background that includes service in the city of Pinole, California and Sweet Home, Oregon. Kelcey was the Pinole city manager from August 2024 until November 2025. She previously worked as the Finance Director for Clearlake. Kelcey earned a BA and Master’s in environment and community from Humboldt State University.
Retired Coronado city manager Blair King retired again. This time from the city of Bainbridge Island in the State of Washington. Deputy City Manager Ellen Schroer will serve as Acting City Manager until and Interim City Manager is selected. Blair previously served as city manager for the cities of Soledad, Imperial Beach, Half Moon Bay, Lodi and Coronado. He received a 45 Year ICMA Service Award in 2025.
Anaheim City Manager Jim Vanderpool resigned his position and Deputy City Manager Greg Garcia is serving as the Acting City Manager. Jim has faced questions surrounding his attendance at a 2020 Anaheim Chamber of Commerce paid trip to Lake Havasu that he apparently did not disclose. The State Fair Political Practices Commission apparently began an investigation into the city manager’s potential violations for the economic interest disclosure requirements of the Political Reform Act.
Fullerton Fire Chief Adam Loeser announced the launch of the city-operated ambulance service. The Chief indicates that this transition from contract services gives the city direct oversight and budget responsibility for every aspect of patient care. The city has hired 32 dedicated Ambulance Operators for the new initial deployment. Senior Administrative Analyst Kim Chaudhry says the local residents will experience no service disruption during the transition. Eddie Manfro is the Interim City Manager. He took the position following the departure of previous City Manager Eric Levitt, who is the new City Manager for the City of San Bernardino.
Following a national executive search and recruitment, the city of Hanford selected a new city manager from its existing city staff. Chris Tavarez, who has served the city as Finance Director, Deputy City Manager and Interim City Manager, is the new Hanford city manager succeeding former city manager Mario Cifuentez II, who relocated to Arizona. Chris previously served as Finance Director in Exeter and as Administrative Services Manager for the city of Visalia. He earned a BS in accounting from Fresno Pacific University, and he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
City of San Diego budget officials have projected a $110 million deficit for the next fiscal year. City departments are asked to cut all nonessential spending and overtime. As of February 2026, Todd Gloria serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the city in his capacity of Mayor. He made the decision to eliminate the City Manager/Chief Operating Officer position to help address the budget deficit.
A $100,000 planning grant by the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation was awarded to the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College for research on the implementation of Los Angeles County governance reform. The 2024 Measure G, approved by voters, calls for many changes to Los Angeles County government, including increasing the number of Supervisors from 5 to 9, and creating an elected County Executive. The Rose Institute Director is Ken Miller, and Ryder Todd Smith is the Rose Institute Board Chair. The Rose Institute study will focus on the perspectives of Eastern Los Angeles County in the implementation of this governance reform.
Yulia Carter, who previously served as the Administrative Services Director for the Town of Los Altos Hills (2012-2015), has worked as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Pacifica since June 2022. She was the Finance Director (2015-2018) and Deputy City Manager (2018- 2021) for Half Moon Bay; Assistant City Manager for Sausalito (November 2018-April 2021); and Chief Financial Sustainability Officer for Pacifica (2021-2022). Yulia earned an MPA from Park University in Markville, Missouri, and she completed the Local Governance Summer Institute at Stanford University. The City Manager Newsletter by Trackdown February 2015 issue features Yulia on Page 4.
An organization is in its foundational stages to help with promoting and protect municipal government in California. The new group will be designed to address specific needs of charter cities that its members feel are not fully met by the League of California Cities. The California Charter Cities Association is forming a statewide collaboration of charter cities. It is primarily focused on advocacy, information sharing, and protecting the “home rule” or local control that distinguishes charter cities from general law cities. The City of Porterville has reached out to Huntington Beach and other charter cities about setting up a group to advocate for similar measures as a group. Mayor Greg Meister of Porterville said the group would function similarly to the League of California Cities, which lobbies state leaders on behalf of cities across the state, especially large cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Shorts
Former city manager and “huge” San Francisco Giants’ fan, Tim Kerr, who lives in Modesto, is a former City Manager in Livingston, Ceres and Turlock.
Laura Behjan served as the Simi Valley city manager from July 2012 to February 2013, after working for the city more than 20 years, including as Assistant City Manager for 16 years with City Manager Mike Sedell.
Mission Viejo is mourning the unexpected loss of longtime City Attorney William “Bill” Curley, who recently passed away.
Tripepi Smith is a continuing supporter of the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) for the seventh consecutive year as a Diamond Level Partner — the toptier sponsorship for the professional association.
Jeff Hakola, who previously worked for the fire departments of Orange County and the city of Merced, is the Acting Fire Chief for the City of Patterson Fire Department.
Retired American Canyon city manager Richard J. Ramirez, who also worked for the cities of Lincoln, Paso Robles, Hemet, Sacramento, Stanton and South El Monte, has joked that his main job since retirement was to “chauffeur” his granddaughter. *Stephanie Jantzen is serving as the Interim General Manager for the El Dorado Hills Community Services District.
Rachel Molina, who earned an MPA from California Baptist University, has served as the Hesperia city manager since June 2023.
City Manager Thaddeus McCormack began his tenure in Lakewood in September 2017, succeeding longtime Lakewood City Manager, the late Howard Chambers following his retirement.
Trackdown daughter Jacki “Cookie” Simpson Beebe ran into former Mayor and City Council member Bruce Barrows at the Cypress Costco store on Monday, February 9.
Thousands of cyclists participated in the 28th Annual Tour de Palm Springs on Saturday, February 7, adding to the nearly $5 million raised for local non-profits.
Rod Hill is the new city manager for the city of Chino Hills succeeding the retiring Benjamin Montgomery.