Stephanie DeWolfe, the former Community Development Director for the City of West Hollywood, has been pushed out of her job as South Pasadenas city manager. We strive to inform, educate, and work together to make a better world for all of us, locally and globally. Ms. Chaparyan, a graduate of John Muir High School in Pasadena, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from U.C.L.A and a Masters of Public Administration from U.S.C. These formative experiences inspired Mrquezs commitment to public service. She also previously worked for the Cities of Glendale and West Hollywood in the City Clerk Elections and in City Council support roles while pursuing her graduate degrees. We are excited to welcome Armine as our new City Manager," said Mayor Diana Mahmud. Aram was appointed city manager of Torrance in October 2020, and Armin took South Pasadena's top administrative office in May 2021. Our News Desk department consists of a collective of news gatherers in order to keep the community informed and safe. After returning to the City of Pasadena, Mr. Rodriguez handled special assignments with the City Attorneys Office and as a special assistant to the city manager prior to his appointment as assistant city manager in 2016. By News Desk The South Pasadena community is invited to meet Ms. Chaparyan during the virtual forum as she presents her experience and interest in serving in the City's top . He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Science degree in Public Administration from California State University at Los Angeles. (626) 737-8486 Ext. Her starting annual salary is $215,000. Gonzalez replaces former City Manager Tom Bakaly, who resigned in August 2016 to become the Beach Cities Health Districts chief executive officer. M - F 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. It added amenities, including a new dog park, and improved its fire safety rating, resulting in lower insurance rates for residents and businesses. His first day on the job is scheduled to be May 15. He served as city attorney for the City of Vernon as a part of the Citys good governance initiative reform efforts. Four focus groups, made up of a total of 31 residents, offered input on the qualifications, experiences and qualities necessary for the ideal candidate for the next South Pasadena City Manager.. During her two-year, 10-month tenure, she replaced over a half dozen department heads and went through five finance directors, the newspaper reported. It states staff will conduct an additional background check of that applicant and negotiate an employment agreement before bringing the matter back to the council at an upcoming regular meeting of the City Council., During its search, South Pasadena received more than 50 applications for the job. Following pushback from residents, the South Pasadena City Council decided late Tuesday to rescind a job offer to a city manager candidate with a rocky history at his last two employers. Domenica Megerdichian, 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030 | P:(626) 403-7200 | Contact Us. Gonzalez will also be responsible for implementing and enforcing city policies and ordinances, and he will help the city complete and implement PLAN Hermosa, an update of Hermosas general plan and adoption of a local coastal program. Chaparyan achieved her dream of becoming a city manager in May when she was named to that position in South Pasadena. With benefit of the insights of four community focus groups of 31 South Pasadena community leaders, each describing the ideal qualities they wish to see in the next city manager, the City Council retained executive recruiter Gary Phillips, of Bob Murray & Associates to undertake a national recruitment to gather qualified candidates to fill the citys vacant city manager position. Before being named Community Development Director for West Hollywood, DeWolfe had served as deputy director of the Planning & Community Development Department for the City of Pasadena. To the best of CCMF's knowledge, Aram and Armin Chaparyan are the first brother-sister city manager pair in California history. Mrquezs parents immigrated to the United States from Mxico with only a limited amount of formal education. She had been on staff at the City of Pasadena since 1990 in various roles including Acting Assistant City Manager, where she worked with the City Manager on policy issues and management of the City Council. She will start her new position with South Pasadena on Monday, May 31, 2021. Copyright 2023. Ms. Chaparyan, a graduate of John Muir High School in Pasadena, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from U.C.L.A and a Masters of Public Administration from U.S.C. If you want to hire him as city manager here, you should say why youre comfortable with his tenure in other cities, and why youve decided not to hold those previous controversies against him, Bray wrote. The Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on the approval of Gonzalezs contract. 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Pasadena Now strives to provide factual, unbiased reporting. 8, Eddie Rivera | erivera@pasadenanowmagazine.com The City is located near the neighboring cities of Pasadena, South Pasadena and Alhambra, with easy access to all of Southern California. Subscribe to our feeds to get the latest headlines, summaries and links back to full articles formatted for your favorite feed reader and updated throughout the day. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1977, and worked as an attorney for both El Centro De Accion Social, Inc., and Gronemeier, Barker & Huerta before joining the Pasadena City Attorneys Office. Following the community forum, its expected that an employment agreement will be presented for consideration at the regular May 5, 2021 City Council meeting. Armin Chaparyan serves as the current City Manager with over 20 years of local government experience, including serving as the Community Development Director and then the Assistant City Manager in the City of San Gabriel prior to this role. The Mayor is selected from the City Council members and serves a one-year term. Your email address will not be published. Her starting annual salary is $215,000. With benefit of the insights of four community focus groups of 31 South Pasadena community leaders, each describing the ideal qualities they wish to see in the next city manager, the City Council retained executive recruiter Mr. Gary Phillips, of Bob Murray & Associates to undertake a national recruitment to gather qualified candidates to fill the citys vacant city manager position. 2, David Cross | newsdesk@pasadenanowmagazine.com Parents Panos and Endza brought 9-year-old Chaparyan, her 11-year-old brother Aram and 4-year-old brother Arman to the United States from Armenia in 1987 a time of political unrest in that country, which was a republic under . 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Click here to join on Thursday, April 28, 2021, at 6:30 pm (registration is not required to participate in the live forum). . The City Manager also holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. The City is soliciting bids for city attorney services! It is governed by the City Council/City Manager form of government. The Human Resources Office is a Division of the Management Services Department, dedicated to responsible human resource management by: recruiting qualified individuals for a productive workplace; providing a safe work environment; maintaining equitable compensation systems; and committing to personal and professional development of the employees She will start her new position with South Pasadena on Monday, May 31, 2021. We know that Armin is very familiar with our city and looks forward to putting her energy and talent to good use in South Pasadena. DeWolfes resignation took effect on Sept. 12. He brings vitality, experience and a fresh perspective to Hermosa Beach at a time when the city is making decisions and plans that will chart the citys future.. Bob Murray & Associates, the Roseville consulting firm the town hired to help identify retiring City Manager Carl Cahill's replacement, is the same firm that helped the South Pasadena City Council select former Los Altos City Manager Chris Jordan for its own vacant city manager post. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds offer another way to get Pasadena Now content. Ms. Chaparyan has 15 years of local government experience, most recently serving as assistant city manager of San Gabriel. Jordan was West Linns city manager when Timeus, who had worked with Jordan in a prior city, was hired as the police chief. (310) 378-9116, Published on Saturday, April 8, 2017 | 1:33 pm. Council members expect to vote on an employment agreement with Armine Chaparyan, the current assistant city manager in San Gabriel, at their May 5 meeting, according to an announcement from the city. Jordan, who served a total of 15 years as city manager in two West Coast cities with populations similar to South Pasadena, will report to work May 10. Jordan had left West Linn by the time the 2017 wrongful arrest occurred and Timeus retired that same year amid allegations of drunken driving. E-mail press release to : editor@pasadenanow.com During a roughly three-year period, she went through five finance directors and replaced more than six department heads, the newspaper reported. Following a national search, the City of Hermosa Beach announced today that South Pasadena City Manager Sergio Gonzalez will be Hermosa Beachs new city manager. (626)737-8486 Ext. News provided by the City Manager's Office The City Manager's Office has launched a Social Services Resource Guide, providing a list of providers and resources available for community members. Many. South Pasadena farmers market is open Thursdays, 4, Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director, South Pasadena City Council meeting webpage, South Pasadena City Manager Candidate Forum: Armin Chaparyan, L.A. County Walk-Ins Available at Vaccination Sites Through Monday, L.A. County: Use of J&J Vaccine to Resume. South Pasadena will begin the recruitment process, which usually takes several months, for a new City Manager, and will likely appoint an interim city manager during the recruitment process so that the Fire Chief can return his full attention to his critically important duties. Following fervent objections from some South Pasadena . The installation followed four community focus groups, input. South Pasadena City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe announced Sunday she has retired from her position as City Manager, as of Saturday, September 12, according to a statement from the city. Registration is not required, but those interested in hearing from the candidate on specific topic areas are asked to email their questions in advance to cmoffice@southpasadeanaca.gov. South Pasadenas previous city manager, Stephanie DeWolfe, retired from the city in September. Though council members did not give a reason for the resignation, Jordan had clashed with them in the past, including in one instance in which he defied a 4-1 decision by the council to relocate its meetings. Before that, DeWolfe had worked for the City of West Hollywood since Dec. 17, 2012, overseeing the citys planning and development staff. Management Services Department | South Pasadena, CA Home Go I Want To. Jordan, the former Los Altos city manager, confirmed April 21 he was out of the running in an email response to the Town Crier. The council was set to offer Jordan a four-year, $225,000 contract at its April 21 meeting before the decision was made not to move forward with his hiring. Finance Director Josh Betta, who released a report. The South Pasadena community is invited to meet Ms. Chaparyan during the virtual forum as she presents her experience and interest in serving in the Citys top administrative post. Terry Shea, the city's auditor and a partner at Rogers, Anderson, Malody & Scott LLP ("RAMS"), which is in second of a three-year contract to supply South Pasadena's auditing services, did not return calls seeking comment. The city has not released the employment agreement with Chaparyan. Click for Directory. In light of the backlash, the council pledged to do an additional background check on the next candidate. (626) 737-8486 Ext. The City Manager's Office in South Pasadena has introduced a Social Services Resource Guide, which includes a list of providers and resources that can be utilized by community members. She has led the City in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and has brought the organization to new heights during her time in South Pasadena. Our opinion section is open to all. Deputy City Manager at City of South Pasadena 1w Report this post Report Report. . Get all the latest Pasadena news, more than 10 fresh stories daily, 7 days a week at 7 a.m. See All News. City Manager's Office; Management Services; Community Services; Finance; Fire; Library; Community Development Department; Police ; Public Works; City Council Meetings. Its very interesting. Retired Santa Monica City Manager John Jalili has been serving as interim city manager since October. (310) 378-9116, Published on Sunday, September 13, 2020 | 4:45 pm. "Sergio's strong reputation. May 2014 - Oct 20217 years 6 months. Interim South Pasadena City Manager Sean Joyce, one of the most highly regarded city managers in the State, wasn't fooled. DeWolfe hired a consultant to reorganize the Finance Department and hired a new finance director, Karen Aceves. During a closed session late Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously not to move forward with the hire in light of expressed community opposition and concerns., The City Council is pleased that Mr. Jordan was one of two candidates that it considered capable of serving in the top administrative spot, a city press release stated. In his new role, Gonzalez will be responsible for the day-to-day administration of Hermosa Beachs city government, which includes the oversight of 145 fulltime employees and an annual budget of approximately $37.7 million. Ms. Chaparyan has worked for the cities of Ontario, and Santa Clarita. A newsletter published by the Public Affairs Office. South Pasadena, CA 91030 South Pasadena's previous city manager, Stephanie DeWolfe, retired from the city in September. He and his wife, Cathy, have twin daughters, Olivia and Sofia, age nine. Colorado Boulevard is your place for informative news and social living for the greater Pasadena area. (626)737-8486 Ext. Jordan had controversial tenures in Los Altos and West Linn, Ore., prior to applying for the South Pasadena position. We are excited to welcome Armin as our new City Manager. For Advertising, Call (626) 737-8486 Ext. Ms. Chaparyan, a graduate of John Muir High School in Pasadena, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from U.C.L.A and a Masters of Public Administration from U.S.C. Principal Management Analyst. Colorado Boulevard is your place for informative news and social living for the greater Pasadena area. During his tenure in South Pasadena, the city significantly increased its financial reserves while also investing over $12 million on infrastructure. Mrquez is expected to be formally introduced. Prior to his role in Santa Clara, Mrquez served as an Associate Justice of the California Sixth District Court of Appeal, as the County Counsel for the County of Santa Clara, as the General Counsel of the San Francisco Unified School District, and as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorneys Office. Email:CM Office Back Submit. It received several honors, including recognition for being an energy-wise, environmentally sensitive and walkable city. The publication will remain free to readers and will not erect paywalls. Mr. Rodriguez received his bachelors degree as a College Scholar of the College of Arts and Sciences from Cornell University and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.