STELLAR TALENT: Long Beach has a new Director of Economic & Property Development

Posted on by TBCRecruiting.com

No better way to finish 2016 and ring in the new year…John Keisler is the new Director of Economic & Property Development in Long Beach, CA. John has been with the city for more than 11 years and has served in a variety of management positions for nearly a decade. City Manager Patrick H. West stated, “John is a proven, dynamic and innovative leader who will help improve Long Beach’s economic vitality.”

According to TB&Co. CEO Teri Black, he already has a jumpstart on making an even bigger difference in Long Beach. Since May 2015, John has served as the city’s Innovation Team Director. Previously, he served as CFO for the Long Beach Police Department as was the Business Operations Manager for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine before then. John has a reputation for taking on challenging situations and transforming them into high performing operations. Teri added, “John is one of those rare individuals you meet and, in the first few minutes, you just know they will be a rock star someday.” Having had her eye on this fellow Trojan for many years, Teri and her team were delighted to have been part of his career path as he steps into the leagues of executive management.

John holds an MPA from the University of Southern California and Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Religion from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. #fighton

STELLAR TALENT: Carlsbad Names New Economic Development Manager

Posted on by cindimaud

The City of Carlsbad has selected Christie Marcella to serve as its new Economic Development Manager. Christie was chosen to lead the city’s economic development efforts after a robust recruitment that drew a large pool of qualified applicants from throughout the western United States. Her passion for innovation and relentless spirit of public service, along with her varied experience in economic development and related areas were overwhelming factors in her appointment. In addition, Christie’s impressive academic credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University and a Master’s in Urban Planning from Columbia University.

STELLAR TALENT: Metro Fire Attracts Talent from Phoenix – Welcome Chief Harms

Posted on by TBCRecruiting.com

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Board of Directors recently swore-in Todd Harms as their new Fire Chief. TB&Co. was proud to represent the Board in the recruitment and selection of the district’s sixth fire chief. Chief Harms succeeds Chief Mark Wells who retired after 29 years of distinguished public safety service.

Chief Harms comes to California from the Phoenix Fire Department (PFD) where he rose to Deputy Chief of Special Operations. He has also been an Urban Search and Rescue team member, with deployments to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. After starting his career in Peotone, Illinois, Chief Harms invested 29 years of his career with PFD. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fire Service Management.

“I am truly honored to have this opportunity to lead Metro Fire,” said Harms. “I look forward to continually finding ways to improve our service delivery, showing the communities we serve that Metro Fire is here every day of the year to solve their problems.” Senior Recruiter and retired Mountain View Fire Chief Bradley Wardle observed, “I was increasingly impressed with Chief Harms’ operations and business acumen. It was also very apparent that he maintained a close connection to the rank and file perspective which was an important leadership quality we were seeking.”

STELLAR TALENT: Murrieta names new Administrative Services Director

Posted on by TBCRecruiting.com

Last week, the City of Murrieta, California announced its selection of Linda Le to serve as the City’s new Administrative Services Director. Linda currently serves as the Assistant Treasurer-Tax Collector/Chief Operations Officer for the Ventura County Treasurer-Tax Collector. Overseeing a staff of 40, she is presently responsible for the day-to-day activities of audit management, tax collections of $1.4 billion, treasury management of $5 billion and an investment portfolio of $2 billion. In addition to numerous certifications that include CCMT and CPFA, she holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from California Lutheran University and a Bachelor’s degree from California State University Long Beach in Applied Research Psychology. In her “spare time,” Linda serves as an Adjunct Professor in Cal Lutheran’s Public Policy & Administration graduate program.

In Murrieta, Linda will oversee the City’s Finance, Human Resources and IT divisions. In response to the news, TB&Co. CEO Teri Black commented, “We were thrilled to discover Linda during this search as she has impressive breadth as well as technical expertise. Her energy level and “can do” spirit are perfect for Murrieta!”

POWERFUL RESULTS: Congrats to new Lakewood, CO Police Chief Dan McCasky

Posted on by cindimaud

The holiday weekend seems like an ideal time to get caught up on our recent placement news. Yep – we’ve been so busy with our recruitments that we haven’t had time to celebrate our client and candidate successes. So, we’ll start with Lakewood Colorado’s recently named Police Chief. Dan McCasky is a 30-year veteran of the nationally accredited Lakewood Police Department (LPD) and served as Interim Police Chief for five months prior to his promotion in October. Prior to serving in the interim chief capacity, Chief McCasky served as division chief of Patrol.

Upon making the announcement City Manager Kathy Hodgson stated, “He brings the experience, depth of knowledge and leadership qualities respected by his co-workers, peers and other agencies. Dan is a natural communicator who brings people together.” Impressed by the outstanding level of professionalism across LPD, TB&Co. CEO Teri Black added, “Dan is also extremely involved with and committed to the community. His relationships and involvement reflect the depth of extensive partnerships the department never takes for granted. While we had impressive talent in the candidate pool, Dan is a gifted leader who has a great deal to contribute.”

Chief McCasky has a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Northern Colorado.

STELLAR TALENT: New Los Altos Community Development Director Settles In

Posted on by TBCRecruiting.com

The City of Los Altos is now home to new Community Development Director Jon Biggs, who assumed his duties at the end of March. Jon arrived in Los Altos with 25 years of experience, having most recently served as Community Development Director for the City of Pismo Beach. He brings a wide range of expertise including urban design, housing and historic preservation, along with experience in critical regional priorities such as water and traffic/transportation issues.

In Los Altos, Jon is responsible for the City’s planning and building divisions and oversees a team of 12. In addition to Pismo Beach, he has also served in the cities of Alameda and Pacific Grove. Jon earned a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning from San Jose State University and holds several professional certificates, including the University of California Berkeley Certificate for Transportation Impacts and Land Development and the University of California Davis Certificate for Environmental Planning and Thresholds of Significance.

STELLAR TALENT: Bill Walker starts as Santa Monica’s New Fire Chief

Posted on by TBCRecruiting.com

Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole has announced the selection of Bill Walker as the City’s new Fire Chief. A longtime firefighter, Chief Walker has over two decades of experience in the fire service. He has served as a Fire Chief for the past 11 years, initially in the City of Fountain Valley and most recently for the City of Alhambra.

“We were searching for a dynamic leader for our fire department,” said Cole. “Chief Walker is that kind of leader, and our city will benefit from his track record of community collaboration and commitment to service excellence. I am confident that he will be a great contributor to building a citywide culture of data-drive, results-oriented innovation.”

“I’m excited and honored to have the opportunity to join the Santa Monica Fire Department as Chief,” he said. “Santa Monica is a remarkable and progressive place and I look forward to working with the men and women of the department to continue the long-standing tradition of providing first-rate service to the community.”

Chief Walker will begin his new duties on May 2, commanding a department of five fire stations, 108 emergency personnel and 15 civilian staff. He is the 2016 President of the Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association and the 2015-16 President of the Foothill Fire Chiefs Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Southern California.