The California City Management Foundation (CCMF) will host two panel discussions at the 2025 League of California Cities City Manager Conference in Rancho Mirage. The second session, “Mental Health First: Insights from Retired City Managers,” will also take place on Thursday, Thursday, Feb. 6, from 10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. This session will dive into the art of leaving a lasting legacy of leadership, offering insights on evaluating one’s tenure, understanding the right time to transition and developing a robust succession plan to prepare and mentor the next generation of city administrators.

Santa Barbara City Administrator Kelly McAdoo will moderate the discussion. Panelists will include:

  • Chris Catren, director of strategic relations at First Responder Wellness
  • John Donlevy, retired city manager 
  • Mark Scott, retired city manager

The first session, “Transitioning Well; When to Leave and How to Leave a Legacy Doing It” will take place on Thursday, Feb. 6, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. The panel will focus on leaving a legacy of leadership and address how to assess one’s tenure and longevity as well as how to build a succession plan for training up a replacement administrator. 

Santa Barbara City Administrator Kelly McAdoo will moderate the discussion. Panelists will include:

  • Jorge Garcia, city manager, city of Pismo Beach
  • Jim Lewis, city manager, city of Atascadero

Don’t miss out on these insightful discussions, designed to inspire and inform attendees. Each session will include a dedicated Q&A segment, allowing attendees to engage directly with the presenters, ask questions and gain deeper insights into the topics covered. CCMF hopes to see you there!