Experience

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  City of Downey

  • City Manager

    • Oct 1989 - Dec 2011

    The City of Downey is a full-service community of 113,000 with an annual budget of $140 million and 1,000 full/part-time employees. During my years of service $1 billion of new City initiated development occurred in the community utilizing principally economic, not redevelopment, tools. The City team of elected and appointed officials achieved many positive accomplishments during my tenure, including: • Successful negotiation with the Federal Government for purchase of 160 acre former NASA site;• Development of Downey Studios, with the largest soundstages in Los Angeles County; • Construction of a new 34-acre retail development, Downey Landing;• Successful negotiation with Kaiser Permanente to purchase a portion of the former NASA site resulting in development of a $600+ million hospital/office complex which employs over 3,000 workers;• Renovation and enclosure of Stonewood Regional Mall with addition of fourth anchor tenant, Macy’s; • Construction of 18,000-sq. ft. Congressionally recognized Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center;• Successful redevelopment of the City’s downtown area;• Leader of 10 year effort of seven cities to obtain Federal funding for Federal flood control project;• Modernization of Four-City Fire Joint Communication System;• Rebuilding of City’s Golf Course and construction of new $7 million Rio Hondo Event Center; • Construction of Community/Senior Center and Gymnasium; • Upgrading of the City Library and its computer system; • Rebuilding of the City’s major water delivery system including the construction of several water wells;• Completion of $20+ million Lakewood Blvd widening project and many other street improvements; and• Remodeling and modernization of City’s Police Station and Main Fire Station.

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  Cudahy, CA

  • City Manager

    • Sep 1982 - Sep 1989

    The City Council of this Los Angeles County community of 22,000 hired me with the direction to recruit a professional staff and improve City services. Based on per capita income, Cudahy was the second poorest suburb in the United States. It had a total staff of 25. The City relied largely upon contract services and I was able to negotiate many improved contracts during my tenure. The Redevelopment Agency was activated and its first bonds were issued. An excellent staff was assembled and a sound financial system created. The City implemented its first long-term capital improvement plan. Property for a new Municipal Service Facility and Community Park was purchased and developed. A federally funded fifty-unit Senior Citizen Housing project was planned and constructed. The City formed an innovative Social Service Agency. A positive General Fund reserve was achieved. The Redevelopment Agency’s successes included construction of a new shopping center and a medical office building. The City was the lead agency in formulating a highly successful six-city job-training consortium. I also served as the community’s City Clerk from 1982 to 1988. A smooth transition to a new City Manager was accomplished when I obtained new employment in Downey.