Arriving at CCMF’s 2010 New & Future City Manager seminar in Costa Mesa, Carol Jacobs had been the City Manager of Stanton for just over a year.
She remembers Joff Kolin introducing himself as the City Manager of Beverly Hills. At the time, Stanton had twice the population density of Beverly Hills. The residents of Stanton were younger, had more children, and spoke more native languages than in Beverly Hills. Shaking Jeff’s hand Carol remarked that they couldn’t come from two more different cities. He responded that they had more in common than she might think. Three years later, Carol looks back on her experience at the New & Future City Manager seminar and knows just how right he was.
“No matter the city, the size, the demographics,” says Carol, who now works as the City Manager of Eastvale, “as city managers we all share a common bond. We work through the same issues.”
After attending the seminar, Carol spent another two and half years in Stanton, working to balance the budget, wrap up redevelopment, and restructure city services. Once the budget was balanced, Carol felt the time was right to seek out a new opportunity. She found it in Eastvale, a newly incorporated city in Riverside County.
“The New & Future City Manager seminar provided me with resources and contacts that have allowed me to be successful in my career,” says Carol. “Whenever I have the chance to encourage a new city manager to attend, I always tell them – it is the best thing you can do to start your career on the right foot.”
Carol is quick to note that the California City Management Foundation has been a great resource to her in her time as a city manager. As she evolved out of being a new city manager, and into a well-established career, the organization has continued to support her work.
Carol is featured in an upcoming installment CCMF’s Meet Your City Manager video series. Check back here after September 9 to hear more from her about what it means to be a city manager.
(UPDATE: her interview can now be viewed by clicking here.)