What inspired you to enter city management?
My first real introduction to city management came during my time at Cal Poly Pomona. At that point in my life, I was working in social services while pursuing my master’s degree. I happened to take a course on local government that was taught by Tamera Letourneau, who had served as the city manager of Yorba Linda.
What really stood out to me was the passion with which she talked about local government. And it wasn’t just about the successes. She was very open about the difficult times, the challenges and the responsibility that comes with serving a community. But even when she talked about those challenges, you could see how much she cared about the profession and the community she had served.
That really resonated with me. I began to realize that local government offered an opportunity to make a very direct and tangible difference in people’s lives. You can work on something today and, years later, drive through that community and actually see the results of that work.
As I’ve progressed through my career, I’ve realized that the passion I saw in that classroom wasn’t unique to her. I see it throughout local government. There are so many people in this profession who genuinely care about their communities and about leaving them better than they found them. That’s ultimately what drew me to city management and what continues to motivate me today.
I’ve had city managers I’ve never worked with reach out simply to offer their support, advice or assistance. I think that says a lot about the people who choose this profession. We want to see one another thrive and succeed because, ultimately, we’re all working toward the same goal — serving our communities and making them better. That sense of camaraderie and shared purpose is something I’ve come to really value about local government
How did you become a city manager?
I think a big part of my career has simply been a willingness to try something new and to take on challenges, even when I wasn’t completely sure where they would lead.
When I first entered local government in Lynwood, I was introduced to a completely different world from the social services work I had been doing. I quickly realized how broad local government is. One day you might be dealing with a personnel issue, the next day you’re talking about infrastructure, economic development, public safety, housing, parks or a neighborhood concern.
Throughout my career, I’ve tried not to limit myself to one particular area. I’ve been willing to take on assignments that stretched me and exposed me to different parts of an organization. Over time, those experiences gave me a much better understanding of how all the pieces of a city fit together.
I’ve also been incredibly fortunate to have mentors and colleagues who invested in me along the way. They gave me opportunities, challenged me and sometimes saw abilities in me before I necessarily saw them in myself.
Eventually, I realized that city management brought together the things I enjoyed most: leadership, problem-solving, building teams, working with people and having an opportunity to make a lasting impact on a community.
So I wouldn’t say there was one perfectly planned path to becoming a city manager. It was really a progression of opportunities, mentors, hard work and being willing to say yes when a new challenge came along.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
The people. Without question.
I really enjoy engaging with employees because they are the heart and soul of the organization. A city manager may help set the tone and direction of an organization, but it’s the employees throughout the city who make everything happen every day. I’ve also been the beneficiary of tremendous mentorship and friendship throughout my career, and that’s something I don’t take for granted. As large as some of our organizations may seem, local government is actually a relatively small community. You build relationships with people throughout your career, and those relationships stay with you.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job now is having the opportunity to do for others what people did for me — to encourage someone, give them an opportunity, help them grow or maybe see something in them that they don’t yet see in themselves.
Ultimately, most of us chose local government because we wanted to help people and see our communities prosper. Being surrounded by people who share that sense of purpose is probably what I enjoy most.
What role does a city manager play in local government, and how does it differ from that of a council member or mayor?
The city council and mayor are the community’s elected policymakers. They establish priorities, make policy decisions and provide the overall direction for the city.
The city manager’s role is different. Our responsibility is to lead the organization and turn that policy direction into action. We have a direct connection to the employees who actually carry out the work of the city. That means our job isn’t simply to manage budgets, projects or departments. Our job is also to lead people.
I believe a city manager has to inspire and motivate the people around them, create an environment where employees can succeed and make sure they have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs well.
We’re also responsible for giving the council the best professional information and advice we can, even when the answer isn’t necessarily the easiest one to hear. Then, once the council establishes its direction, our responsibility is to execute that direction professionally and effectively.
At its best, it’s a partnership: elected officials provide policy leadership on behalf of the community and the city manager and staff provide professional administration and implementation.
What does your typical day look like?
I don’t know that there really is a typical day for a city manager and that’s probably one of the things I enjoy about the profession.
You can start the morning thinking you know exactly what your day is going to look like, and within an hour something completely unexpected can change the entire schedule.
A typical day might include meeting with department directors, reviewing an upcoming council agenda, talking about a major development project, working through a budget issue, responding to a resident concern, meeting with a regional partner and then dealing with an issue that wasn’t on anyone’s calendar.
There’s also a tremendous amount of communication involved. You’re constantly communicating with council members, employees, residents, businesses, community organizations and other government agencies.
For me, though, I try not to let the position become entirely about meetings. I enjoy walking through City Hall, talking with employees, visiting projects and getting out into the community. Sometimes a five-minute conversation with an employee or resident tells you more about what’s happening in your organization or community than an hour-long meeting does.
That’s what makes the job interesting. Every day is different.
What city project are you most proud of?
I’m not sure I can pinpoint one specific project.
What I’m probably most proud of is being able to drive through communities where I’ve worked and see things that I know I had some role in making happen.
Sometimes it’s something significant and highly visible, like a new park or a major development. Other times it might be something as simple as new bus shelters, a street improvement or a program that made it easier for residents to access a city service. Those things may seem very different, but they all have an impact on somebody’s life.
That’s one of the things I love about local government. The work becomes part of the community. Long after you’ve moved on professionally, that park is still there. That business is still employing people. That street is safer. That program may still be helping families.
I don’t necessarily need my name attached to any of those things. There’s a tremendous amount of satisfaction in simply knowing that I was part of a team that helped make them happen.
What are the greatest challenges facing city managers in the state today?
I think one of our greatest challenges is navigating an environment of social media, instant information and instant gratification. Residents understandably expect government to be responsive. That’s a good thing, and technology has created tremendous opportunities for us to communicate and engage with our communities.
But complicated public-policy issues don’t always fit into a social media post, and complicated problems don’t always have immediate solutions. A decision involving housing, homelessness, infrastructure, public safety, development or the city budget can involve years of planning, legal requirements, public input and competing interests. Yet we’re increasingly expected to explain those issues in a matter of seconds.
Information also travels incredibly fast, whether it’s accurate or not. That means city managers and local government leaders have to communicate more effectively than ever before.
I think our challenge is to become faster and more transparent without sacrificing thoughtfulness. Government needs to evolve with the expectations of our communities, but we also have a responsibility to make sound, responsible decisions rather than simply reacting to whatever issue is getting the most attention at that moment.
When and how do you interact with the residents of your city?
I love interacting with residents on their terms.
Some of my favorite interactions aren’t in formal meetings at City Hall. They’re at community events, farmers markets, concerts in the park, neighborhood events or just when someone happens to stop me and start a conversation. Those environments are important because people are often more comfortable talking to you. You hear what they like about their city, what they’re frustrated about and sometimes things that would never make their way into a formal council meeting or email.
I also think being visible matters. Residents should know that their city manager isn’t someone who just sits behind a desk at City Hall. And I genuinely enjoy those conversations. Even when someone has a complaint, there’s value in hearing directly from the person experiencing the issue. You may not always be able to give them the answer they want, but you can listen, explain how the city works and make sure they know their concern was heard.
What is the role of a city manager in upholding the public’s trust in local government?
I think one of the most important roles a city manager plays today is being a source of calm, stability, professionalism and consistency.
Local government operates in an environment that can sometimes become very political, emotional or divided. The city manager has to be able to operate in the middle of that environment without becoming part of the noise. Our responsibility is to provide honest professional advice, follow the law, treat people fairly, protect the integrity of the organization and make decisions based on what’s best for the community.
That also means being willing to deliver difficult information. Sometimes maintaining public trust means acknowledging that government made a mistake. Sometimes it means telling people that something they want simply isn’t legally or financially possible. And sometimes it means standing behind professional staff when they’re doing their jobs correctly, even when doing so isn’t popular.
Trust isn’t built through one speech or one council meeting. It’s built over time through consistency. People watch whether you do what you said you were going to do, whether you treat people fairly, whether you’re transparent when things go wrong and whether the organization continues to function professionally during difficult moments.
I believe the city manager helps set that tone. You can’t control every controversy or disagreement that occurs in local government, but you can control how you and your organization respond to it. For me, that means remaining steady, professional, accessible and focused on the work we’re ultimately here to do: serve the community.
