STELLAR TALENT: New Los Altos Community Development Director Settles In

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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

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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.

STELLAR TALENT: April Showers bring new Fire Chief to Surf City USA®

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On March 3, Huntington Beach City Manager Fred Wilson announced the appointment of David Segura as the City’s new Fire Chief. An extensive nationwide search led the City to select Chief Segura, whose ideal combination of experience and education made him ideal for the job and he just happens to be a longtime Huntington Beach resident.

Chief Segura has over 32 years of fire service experience, having spent the last 29 years with the City of Long Beach as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief, and Deputy Chief. He and his family have lived in Huntington Beach for the last 16 years and have strong ties to the community.

“I firmly believe David is well qualified for this position, and the men and women of the Fire Department will be well-served with him as the new Chief,” Wilson stated. “David brings with him a good mix of strategic planning, community engagement, and organizational development.”

Chief Segura’s strong leadership and organizational management style will be put to good use in his own community, where he assumed his new position on April 4th. He is leading an eight station department supported by 198 personnel and a budget of $45.6 million.

Chief Segura holds an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from Long Beach City College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Studies from CSU Long Beach, and is now completing his MPA at the university.

“I am excited and honored to be joining the Huntington Beach Fire Department as its Chief,” said Chief Segura. “I am looking forward to meeting the men and women of the Department, getting to know the community, and improving upon what is already an established Department.”

STELLAR TALENT: Pleasanton Welcomes New Library Services Director

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The City of Pleasanton will welcome Heidi Murphy as their new Director of Library Services in April following the retirement of Julie Farnsworth.

Heidi is a Pleasanton native and graduate of Amador Valley High School who returns home after serving most recently as Library Director in the City of Los Gatos. There she was instrumental in the planning and construction of a new 30,000-square-foot modern library, experience that will serve her well in Pleasanton. In addition to leading 25 employees and managing the Department’s $4 million budget, Heidi’s will also be a part of Pleasanton’s new Civic Center/Library Task Force, working to develop plans for new City complexes that serve both needs.

Pleasanton City Manager Nelson Fialho believes Heidi is just the person to do the job. “Heidi Murphy has distinguished herself as the most qualified person to take the helm and help our city explore options for building a new library,” he said. “I’m confident Heidi possesses the kind of innovation and progressive leadership style to sustain and improve existing services while also embarking on the design and construction of a new library for our community.”

Heidi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from UC Santa Cruz and a Master of Library Science from San Jose State University.

STELLAR TALENT: Ventura’s New Director of Human Resources

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After a competitive nationwide recruitment process, Ventura City Manager Mark Watkins announced the appointment of Elizabeth Foushee as the City’s new Director of Human Resources.

Elizabeth arrived in Ventura with over 30 years of human resource and personnel management experience. She has spent the last 20 years with the City of Simi Valley, most recently managing and directing the Human Resource function for the 600-employee organization, and has experience in human resource positions with the City of Thousand Oaks, the City of Ventura, and the Conejo Valley Unified School District. Elizabeth earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from Cal Lutheran University and holds SHRM-SCP and IPMA-CP certificates.

“Elizabeth has a broad, diverse, and deep technical background in the profession,” said City Manager Mark Watkins. “She is interested in fostering teamwork, employee development, and providing excellent service to the community.”

Elizabeth assumes her new position in March and will oversee a staff of 11 and a department budget of $13.8 million.

STELLAR TALENT: City of Fremont prepares to welcome new Building Official

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Fremont-Welcomes-Building-Official

Following a nationwide search, the City of Fremont will be welcoming David Chung as the City’s new Building Official in November. Located in the Bay Area on the eastern edge of the Silicon Valley, Fremont is home to a population of over 226,000. David currently serves as the Building Official and Building Plan Check Engineer for the City of Gilroy.

In Fremont, he will oversee a staff of 26 in the Community Development Department with responsibility over the areas of plan check, building inspection, fire and life safety, as well as community preservation. As Building Official, he will play a key role in several exciting and transformative development projects currently underway in the city.

David’s Silicon Valley and Bay Area experience is extensive. Prior to his service in Gilroy, he held positions in the Cities of Palo Alto and Milpitas, as well as in the private sector. He earned both his graduate and undergraduate degrees in civil engineering from San Jose State University.

PLACEMENT NEWS: Matthew E. Hawkesworth to serve as Pasadena’s new Finance Director

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After a nationwide search we are happy to announce the City of Pasadena’s appointment of Matthew E. Hawkesworth as their new Finance Director. He will begin his new role on October 5, 2015.

With over 20 years in local government service, 14 of those years fulfilling roles in the city manager’s office. Matt currently serves as the Assistant City Manager in the City of Rosemead, California. In his own words, he described his commitment to public service, “Throughout my career in local government, it has been my goal to serve the citizens of each community with a high level of service. This has been accomplished by not only offering excellent customer service, but through building a financially stable community.”

Indeed, Matt’s accomplishments are significant. He was instrumental in reducing Rosemead’s unfunded OPEB liabilities by approximately $3.5 million, developing the city’s first strategic plan and incorporating new financial and human resource systems that maximized efficiency and use of city resources.

“Mr. Hawkesworth brings strong managerial and financial experiences to help restore public confidence in our financial operations,” City Manager Beck said. “His experience overseeing departments and personnel at various levels will add to our existing Executive Leadership Team.”

The recruitment was led by Teri Black who added, “Given the complexity of challenges associated with this job, Matt brings just the right leadership style, attitude, fiscal acumen and uncompromising integrity needed to be successful. It’s a rare situation that required a unique set of skills and Matt is just the right person. Plus, the fact that he loves Pasadena as much as we do brings added value because it really is a special community!”

Pasadena’s new Finance Director earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of La Verne. In addition, Matt has completed numerous advanced courses in finance and accounting through the Government Finance Officers Association and is a graduate of the Claremont McKenna College Kravis Leadership Institute’s Leadership Academy.