Cal Cities Update   
City Managers Department Awards and Recognition

Effective crisis communication starts well before the emergency and continues long after. This session combines practical preparation strategies with real-world insights from the Palisades and Eaton fires to help city managers strengthen their crisis communications plans. Speakers will share how pre-approved messaging, social media, and trial runs with staff can help your city respond swiftly, maintain public trust, and reduce chaos during critical moments. Leave with a deeper understanding of how to develop a crisis communication plan, manage public expectations, and keep residents informed and safe in the midst of an emergency — as well as concrete steps you can take today to strengthen your preparedness before the next crisis strikes.

Moderator: Karen Pinkos, Department Director, City Managers Department and City Manager, El Cerrito

Speakers: Alexis Brown-Gillam, Director, Tripepi Smith & Associates | Miguel Márquez, City Manager, Pasadena | Ara Mihranian, City Manager, Rancho Palos Verdes

Join us for a discussion on Tenet 7 of the ICMA Code of Ethics and how city managers can balance personal beliefs with professional responsibility amid political tension. As national and local politics increasingly clash, administrators may face new conflicts, fueled by media, that challenge their ethics, values, and public presence. Speakers will discuss both successful and detrimental examples of how social media is changing public service and how Tenet 7 guidance has helped them create balance in separating their personal opinions from their professional duties and obligations. Participants will leave with practical strategies for maintaining credibility, navigating political pressures, and leading effectively in an era of heightened polarization and online scrutiny.

Moderator: Jason Nutt, Assistant City Manager, Santa Rosa

Speakers: Aram Chaparyan, City Manager, Torrance | Dan Singer, City Manager, Santa Paula | Nicole Zieba, City Manager, Reedley

In many cities, committees, commissions, and task forces are established as advisory bodies on key issues, but sometimes well-intentioned input becomes policy-making with these groups organizing community campaigns, shaping public opinion, or even directing staff without council direction. These “shadow councils” blur accountability lines of council-manager governance, and can create tension between city hall and the community. Learn how to recognize the signs of advisory body overreach and how to maintain governance discipline. Through real-life case studies, panel discussion, and interactive exercises, attendees will explore strategies to realign advisory groups with their proper advisory roles, preserve institutional integrity, and restore the council as the policy-making authority.

Moderator: Dr. Peter Pirnejad, Executive Director, The Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership

Speakers: Reva Feldman, Retired City Manager, Malibu | Ed Shikada, City Manager, Palo Alto | Christina Turner, City Manager, Morgan Hill

Join us for an interactive hybrid session with Chris Hsiung (in-person) and Simon Sinek (virtually), founders of “The Curve” which envisions a world where all people feel justice is administered with dignity and fairness. Their research offers a dynamic view on modern policing and offers city managers resources to adapt policing to create a culture of safety and respect.

Opening Remarks: Thaddeus McCormack, Immediate Past President, City Managers Department and City Manager

Moderator: Kelly McAdoo, President, City Managers Department and City Administrator, Santa Barbara

Make new friends and catch up with old ones while enjoying delicious appetizers and tasty no-host beverages during the evening networking reception. It’s the perfect opportunity to form support networks inside your profession.

Every election cycle brings the possibility of a new voice at the dais, and sometimes that voice is loud, abrasive, or just singularly focused on "fixing" city hall. These reform-driven council members often enter office with an agenda or ideology to reinvent local government. Join our session for a discussion on how city managers can navigate these disruptions and maintain the stability of the council-manager relationship. Attendees will leave prepared to constructively engage with newly elected outliers and educate them on municipal operations while acknowledging their strong beliefs and desire to “shake things up.” Panelists will discuss practical approaches for establishing boundaries, building trust, managing risk, and guiding the council and staff through the turbulence.

Moderator and Speaker: Elisa Cox, City Manager, Rancho Cucamonga

Speaker: Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager, Arcadia

Artificial Intelligence doesn’t sleep, doesn’t get tired, and doesn’t need a break; and its capabilities are evolving fast! Once limited to automating tasks and analyzing basic data, AI is now able to generate policy recommendations and simulate decision making. What could this mean for the future of public leadership and the role of a city manager? This futurist panel will explore how AI may transform local government and address the ethical and legal implications of AI-driven decision making. Panelists will discuss bias, accountability, transparency, and public trust while examining how workforce and leadership roles might change by 2050. Join us for a look at how city managers can balance public service and the quest to be AI efficient, including how to balance human judgement and empathy with technological innovation, ensuring the heart of public service endures.

Moderator: Henry Garcia, Public Affairs, Transtech

Speakers: Sonia Carvalho, City Attorney, Cities of Pomona and Santa Ana, Best Best & Krieger LLP | Scott Ochoa, City Manager, Ontario

Join your peers for an interactive roundtable designed to foster connection, collaboration, and shared learning among assistant and deputy city managers. This session offers a supportive space to discuss common challenges, exchange practical insights, and build lasting professional networks. Whether you’re new to the role or a seasoned leader, you’ll gain valuable perspectives and relationships to strengthen your career and enhance your organization’s leadership team.

Moderator: Jessica Deakyne, Chief Operating Officer, MRG

Speakers: Kristen Crane, Assistant City Manager, Murrieta | Monica Davis, Deputy City Administrator, Oakland | Thomas W. Gaffery IV, Assistant City Manager, Tulare

Establishing trust, creating connection, and providing support are essential elements of effective leadership; but maintaining these qualities while upholding professional boundaries can be a delicate balance. This session explores how leaders can cultivate meaningful relationships without compromising their authority or decision-making integrity. Attendees will learn practical strategies for building authentic connections, setting clear expectations and navigating challenging situations with confidence. Whether you're a new supervisor or a seasoned executive, this conversation will equip you with the tools to strengthen trust, inspire collaboration and uphold leadership boundaries that drive long-term success.

Moderator: Chris Freeland, President-Elect, City Managers Department and City Manager, Indian Wells

Speakers: Heather Abrams, Town Manager, Fairfax | Jim Lewis, City Manager, Atascadero

Hear from several accomplished women city managers from diverse personal and professional backgrounds who have risen to the top in some of California’s most complex and high-profile communities. They’ll share candid reflections on the journey to the top seat —what helped them succeed, what they wish they’d known sooner, and what aspiring leaders of all genders should keep in mind as they climb the ladder

Moderator: June Catalano, Retired City Manager/Consultant, Renne Public Management Group

Speakers: Valerie Barone, City Manager, Concord | Kimbra McCarthy, City Manager, Mountain View

Are you a city manager or city attorney in an organization with a council-manager form of government, particularly where both individuals are appointed by council? Then there are likely times when issues cross both desks. This session will share how to set guardrails for hot topics that may hit both desks and how to avoid pitfalls in advance.

Moderator: Gerry Beaudin, City Manager, Pleasanton

Speakers: Eric Danly, City Attorney, Petaluma | Peggy Flynn, City Manager, Petaluma | Dan Sodergren, City Attorney, Pleasanton

Sales Tax Working Group Update: Thaddeus McCormack, Immediate Past President, City Managers Department and City Manager, Lakewood
Conference Partner/Sponsor Remarks: Cal-ICMA Representative

Keynote: Resiliency RX: Stress-Proof Your Brain & Body
Stress is stealing your energy, your focus, and your best people. Every day you wait to fix it, the cost climbs higher. Whether you’re leading a city or leading yourself, stress and burnout aren’t mindset problems; they’re chemistry problems. Jenny Evans shows you how to flip the chemistry of stress so it stops hijacking your brain and body, and starts fueling your performance instead. With Micro Strategies grounded in the latest science that are simple enough to actually use, your teams stay engaged, your leaders stop burning out, and your high-achievers finally feel clear, confident, and in control again.

Opening Remarks: Kelly McAdoo, President, City Managers Department and City Administrator, Santa Barbara

You’ve developed a strategic plan for your organization and now the need to communicate the value of services delivered, and where you are going as an organization, has never been greater. With a variety of people involved in the strategic planning process – from your executive team to your city council - how do you ensure that it is meaningful and gets implemented? Hear from experts on how they are using their strategic plans, connecting them to their organization’s work, focusing the council’s attention, and tracking accountability for implementation. Hear tips on strategic plan roll outs, how to make course corrections when needed, and how to show progress to the community, council and organization.

Moderator: Nancy Hetrick, Vice President, Raftelis

Speakers: Sean Bigley, Environmental Utilities Director, Roseville | Michelle Flaherty, Assistant City Manager, Redwood City | Keith Metzler, City Manager, Victorville

Explore how the Surplus Land Act can be leveraged to unlock opportunities for creating more affordable housing. This session will provide insights into the process, challenges, and strategies for utilizing surplus public land to address housing needs, with a focus on practical approaches to increase affordable housing availability.

Moderator: Sean Kelleher, Assistant City Manager (Development), Moreno Valley

Speakers: Steven Dukett, Managing Director of Development Services, TKE Engineering, Inc. | Brian Mohan, City Manager, Moreno Valley | Jill Scott, Real Estate and Development Manager, Santa Rosa

Small and rural cities face unique staffing challenges, including limited budgets and ongoing difficulties with recruitment and retention. These pressures can create organizational gaps and require city managers to spend significant time planning for workforce continuity. In this session, panelists and participants will share real-world experiences and practical strategies for succession planning and developing internal talent, with a focus on approaches that small and rural cities can realistically implement to strengthen their workforce from within.

Moderator: Chris Freeland, President-Elect, City Managers Department and City Manager, Indian Wells

Speakers: Jessaca Lugo, City Manager, Shasta Lake | Chet Simmons, City Manager, Los Alamitos

This is an interactive session that will provide attendees a dialogue with experienced city managers in a small group setting. At each discussion table, a city manager will answer the hard questions, share their stories, and provide meaningful feedback on the real-world problems and obstacles that attendees are facing in their roles. This session is appropriate for any attendee looking to meet new colleagues or for those looking to become city managers in the future. This session is open to women and allies who wish to support women within their organization.

Moderator and Speaker: Kelly McAdoo, President, City Managers Department and City Administrator, Santa Barbara

Speaker: Debra Rose, City Manager, Lake Forest

Join your peers and the members of the California ICMA/Cal-Cities Senior Advisor team to informally discuss the issues you find most challenging. Take advantage of this opportunity to brainstorm with experienced retired city managers and your colleagues regarding the issues that are giving you the most difficulty. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to meet individually with a Senior Advisor to discuss your specific challenges.

Moderator and Speaker: Kevin Duggan, Senior Advisor, ICMA/Cal Cities

The California City Management Foundation (CCMF) partnered with the Rose Institute of State & Local Government at Claremont McKenna College to survey city managers across California. This collaborative effort aims to compile a comprehensive report highlighting demographics and trends within the profession, providing an updated perspective from the previous survey. This information will spark conversation on many of the profession’s core challenges such as succession planning, workforce retention, and recruitment hurdles. These findings help us prepare as professionals, emphasize the need to advocate for sustainable leadership pipelines, and to support policies that strengthen the field for the next generation of city managers.

Closing Remarks: Chris Freeland, President-Elect, City Managers Department and City Manager, Indian Wells

Moderator: Justin Hess, City Manager, Burbank

Speakers: Bipasa Nadon, Assistant Director, Rose Institute of State and Local Government | Karen Pinkos, Department Director, City Managers Department and City Manager, El Cerrito