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Goleta is on the hunt for a new city manager.
COURTESY PHOTOCity Manager Michelle GreeneMichelle Greene, who has served the city for about 18 years, is retiring from the position at the end of June. Ms. Greene is relocating to Vermont with her family.
“We have been fortunate to have her calm demeanor and experience to get us through the challenges of the past two years as well as her counsel and leadership during 18 years with the city, including eight years as our city manager,” Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said during her State of the City address earlier this week. “We have some big shoes to fill.”
Ms. Greene will transition to the role of special adviser so she can continue to assist Goleta with ongoing projects. She was Goleta’s first female city manager.
“It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve the Goleta community for the last 18 years, particularly during the last eight years in the role of city manager,” Ms. Greene said. “It is with great sadness that I must now look to ending the successful partnership with the City Council, as a need to support elderly family in Vermont requires that I relocate for an indefinite period of time.
“But my heart will always be in Goleta. It is an incredibly special place, with an amazing city staff that it has been an honor to work alongside, so I know that I will leave the city in very good hands when the time comes. I wish the Goleta community all the best as the city enters the next phase of its evolution.”
Ms. Greene is credited with overseeing Goleta’s response to COVID-19, effecting the purchase of City Hall on Cremona Drive, obtaining nearly $4 million in state funding for the monarch butterfly habitat on Ellwood Mesa and creating a municipal library during her tenure as city manager, among many other things.
The city manager will work with the city council to support environmental vitality, ensure economic vitality and stability, strengthen infrastructure, enhance the efficiency and transparency of city operations and return Old Town to a vital center of Goleta, according to a job description.
The city manager is responsible for overseeing all departments and staff, reviewing city council agenda material, economic development and capital investment and monitoring Goleta’s financial needs.
“The city council seeks a collaborative leader to be able to assume the helm of this organization with the skills and finesse that can only be attributed to an experienced public sector manager complemented with an engaging personal style and a commitment to outstanding customer service,” the job description said.
An ideal candidate for the job is someone who is apolitical but politically astute, has strong budget and financial management skills and can establish trust with a diverse group of people, according to the listing.
Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, and a master’s degree in public or business administration or a related field is preferred, the job posting said.
Ralph Andersen & Associates, a consulting firm based in Placer County, has been retained for recruitment and evaluation.
The goal is to have a new city manager in place by July.
Those interested in the job must apply by May 2 by sending a cover letter and comprehensive resume to apply@ralphandersen.com. Confidential inquiries can also be made by contacting Heather Renschler at 916-630-4900 or heather@ralphandersen.com.
email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
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