We are proud to announce the appointment of Hilary G. Keith as Santa Clara’s new City Librarian. Hilary was selected by the City Manager with approval from the Board of Library Trustees and begins her new post in the heart of Silicon Valley this week.
With almost 20 years in the field of city and municipal library management, Hilary is a seasoned professional, adapt at developing and creating relationships with the community, as well as the city council and municipal departments, enabling her to accomplish community projects in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Hilary is an award-winning leader in her field and previously held roles as the Director of Library and Cultural Services (City of Santa Fe Springs, CA) and Senior Administrative Librarian (Orange County Public Library). She was instrumental in the successful completion of a $6 million library renovation project; was able to navigate a 10% budget cut without affecting community services; and modernized satellite libraries to better serve the community.
Spending a significant amount of her personal time in community outreach activities, Hilary is dedicated to serving the needs of neighborhoods, including those of the individual, family and local business. In Santa Clara, Hilary will oversee a full-time staff of 46 and an annual budget of $7.6 million.
Hilary obtained her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo and currently sits on the California Library Association Board of Directors.
With a career spanning more than 15 years in local government with the City of Hesperia, Kim brings broad knowledge of city operations to Murrieta. She’s overseen the City Council and City Clerk offices, legislative programs, environmental programs, emergency management, information technology and community relations and special projects.
Kim led many successful projects, including one to secure over $19 million in federal funding for infrastructure projects and extensive community outreach programs. She also helped to reduce economic stress in the community related to foreclosures with a neighborhood revitalization program. A true generalist, Kim also has extensive experience working with elected and appointed officials, as well as being a key member of Hesperia’s leadership team.
“I know she’ll excel as a crucial member of our executive team,” said City Manager Rick Dudley in a recent interview. “I looked for an organization that had the values that I share,” the candidate stated in describing why the Murrieta opportunity was the ideal next step in her career.
Kim earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications/Public Relations from Cal State Fullerton and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Cal State Long Beach. She begins her new career with the City of Murrieta in March 2014.
We are excited to announce our first placement of 2014: Ms. Rosemary Menard, City of Santa Cruz’ new Water Director. Menard begins her new position in Santa Cruz with more than 30 years experience in water planning and management, as well as regulatory and environmental issues.
“We are very pleased to have Ms. Menard come aboard at a critical point in our water supply discussions,” said Santa Cruz City Manager Martín Bernal in statement. “She brings a wealth of leadership and experience in water operations, conservation, administration and policy to our organization.
In a recent interview, Menard said she pursued the Santa Cruz job because “I feel like the kind of strategic and analytical and public participation experience I have lend themselves to tackling big thorny issues.”
Menard’s previous leadership includes two roles within Washoe County, Nevada government and various management positions in the Portland (Ore.) Water Bureau and Seattle Water Department. Menard has received the Distinguished Service Award by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. The San Leandro native received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Washington.
Menard takes the post as Santa Cruz undertakes a new public-led study of how to manage its drought-prone water supply for 90,000 customers with an eye toward long-term sustainability.
Hillary E. Gitelman, Palo Alto Director of Planning and Community Environment.
We are proud to announce Hillary E. Gitelman’s return to the Bay Area as Palo Alto’s new Director of Planning and Community Environment. She brings with her a wide range of impressive experiences and accomplishments. As Hillary’s first week comes to a close, we celebrate her success and our partnership with this incredible city. Read Palo Alto’s official Press Release below:
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/10/2013
Subject : Hillary E. Gitelman Named Palo Alto Director of Planning & Community Environment
Contact : Claudia Keith, Chief Communications Officer 650-329-2607
Palo Alto, CA – City Manager James Keene announced today that he has selected Hillary E. Gitelman to serve as the City’s next Director of Planning and Community Environment, and will bring her appointment to the City Council on September 16 for confirmation. Gitelman currently serves as the Director of Planning, Building and Environmental Services for Napa County. She is expected to begin in her new position on October 28 at a salary of $197,500. The selection was made following a national search and recruitment process that included extensive input from community and business stakeholders as well as two interview panels with broad representation from the community.
“Hillary was our top candidate and we are fortunate to have someone with her breadth of experience join the City in this critical leadership position as we address the very complex planning and development issues facing us today and in the future,” said City Manager James Keene. “The role of Director of Planning is central to the future of our city. This is an especially important point in time for Palo Alto. The Director position requires a person with the drive to make necessary changes in our plans and policies and to meet the demands of our community, and do so with diplomacy, and a commitment to inclusiveness and open government. Hillary brings all of these qualities to her new role and will be a tremendous asset to Palo Alto.”
For the past eight years, Gitelman has directed Napa County’s Department of Planning, Building and Environmental Services where she leads a staff of 70 and is responsible for current and long-range planning, engineering and conservation, parks, environmental health, building permits and code enforcement. From 2001 to 2004, she directed the planning department of the Presidio Trust, a federal agency established to preserve the Presidio of San Francisco for public use while making the park financially self-sufficient. As part of this role, she was responsible for developing the award-winning Presidio Trust Management Plan, as well as the PresidiGo shuttle system, and parking management program, among others.
Gitelman also served as the Environmental Review Officer for the San Francisco Planning Department, where she was responsible for the City and County’s compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and related laws. During her decade-long tenure with the City and County of San Francisco, she conducted major environmental reviews for PacBell (now AT&T) Park, the Mission Bay Redevelopment Project, the Mid-Embarcadero Roadway, the Third Street Light Rail Project, and many other private and public projects.
Previously, she held increasingly senior positions in planning and historic preservation, and is affiliated with the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association; the Association of Environmental Professionals; the American Planning Association and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Gitelman holds a bachelor’s degree in the history of art from Yale and a master’s degree in historic preservation from Columbia University, School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation.
“I am thrilled to have this opportunity, and look forward to working with the staff and citizens of Palo Alto on a wide variety of planning and transportation issues,” said Gitelman.
