Meet the Management Assistant Alumni
Many former Management Assistants continue to work for the City of Long Beach. These graduates have held many key positions in the City including Deputy City Manager, Director of Human Resources, Director of Development Services, Manager of Government Affairs & Strategic Initiatives, Assistant to the City Manager, Leadership & Organizational Development Manager, Leasing Officer, Budget & Performance Management Manager, Project Development Manager, Manager of Planning and Conservation, Community Development Analyst, and Administrative Analyst.
Gail Wasil, Leasing Officer
Properties Division, Port of Long Beach
1982-1983 Management Assistant
Gail Wasil grew up in Upstate New York. She attended Syracuse University where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in political science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, with an emphasis in state and local finance. She has worked for the City of Long Beach since 1982.
Ms. Wasil has worked with retail, office and industrial development projects throughout the City as a Development Project Manager and then, Leasing Officer with the Community Development Department. For over eight years, Ms. Wasil was the Superintendent of Contract Management and Revenue Development for the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. In that position, she oversaw grant writing, fundraising efforts and contract management.
In recent years, Ms. Wasil has worked for the City’s Harbor Department in the Properties Division. She has been involved with the negotiation of lease language with numerous port tenants, and has been specifically involved with the development of lease language targeted toward implementation of more environmentally friendly practices within the Port.
David C. Gonzalez, Leadership & Organizational Development Manager
Department of Human Resources, City of Long Beach
1987-1988 Management Assistant
David.Gonzalez@longbeach.gov
David Gonzalez serves as the Leadership & Organizational Development Manager in the Department of Human Resources and reports to the Department Director. In his role, David facilitates employee relations, communications and employee development for City employees. Much of his role includes initiatives and programs he started while working in the City Manager’s Office. His role also includes serving as the Administrative Manager for the department.
David has previously worked as the Special Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Long Beach. In July 2004, the City Manager asked David to assist with special projects related to implementation of the City’s Three Year Strategic Financial Plan. David was tasked with developing an employee involvement and communication program to assist impacted employees with their transition to other employment options, communicate with employees ongoing changes in the organization, involve employees in change initiatives and projects, and assist employees in their career development by creating and implementing training programs.
David also worked in the Department of Financial Management as the department’s Administrative Services Manager. Before this, he was the City’s Purchasing Manager. David has been with the City of Long Beach for 24 years and has held numerous positions in a variety of departments.
David is a graduate of San Diego State University and received his Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from California State University of Fresno. David continues to remain enthusiastic about his work and is an active participant in the Long Beach community as a dedicated public servant.
Amy J. Bodek, AICP, Director of Development Services
Department of Development Services, City of Long Beach
1992-1993 Management Assistant
Amy.Bodek@longbeach.gov
Amy Bodek is the Director of Development Services for the City of Long Beach. Prior to this, Ms. Bodek served as the Redevelopment Manager for the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency and the Project Development Bureau Manager in the Department of Community Development. This bureau was established in 2003 to establish public-private partnerships with the private development community to realize maximum economic benefits to the City, and to process major public projects through entitlement. Representative projects include the negotiation of a development agreement for the reuse of a 260-acre former Boeing aircraft manufacturing plant and development of a master plan for a new 48-acre adult sports park on a former Brownfields site.
Prior to holding her current position, Ms. Bodek spent a year as the Real Estate Manager for the City of Huntington Beach. Before that, she worked for the City of Long Beach in various positions within the Department of Community Development in the Property Services and Redevelopment Bureaus, focusing on real estate and Downtown redevelopment. She has been with the City of Long Beach since 1992.
Ms. Bodek holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from Cornell University, and a Master of Urban Planning from New York University, where she was a Helbein Scholar, awarded for outstanding public service. She also holds registration as a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Ms. Bodek is currently enrolled in the Certificate for Landscape Architecture program at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she also serves as a Teaching Assistant. She is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Urban Land Institute and the American Planning Association.
Matthew P. Lyons , Director of Planning & Conservation
Long Beach Water Department, City of Long Beach
1993-1994 Management Assistant
Matthew P. Lyons is Director of Planning & Conservation for the Long Beach Water Department, where he began his career in 1994. He reports to the Department's General Manager. Mr. Lyons is responsible for the development of the Department's strategic plan and management of its water conservation program.
Mr. Lyons began his career with the City in 1993 as an intern in the City Manager's nationally recognized Management Assistant Program. After spending one year rotating through several City departments, Mr. Lyons was hired by the Long Beach Water Department. He began work with the Department as an Administrative Analyst, moving up the organization through several positions including Manager of Water Resources, Special Assistant to the General Manager, Manager of Planning and his current position of Manager of Planning & Conservation.
Mr. Lyons received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Stephen P. Scott, Manager, Customer Services Bureau
Technology Services Department, City of Long Beach
1998-1999 Management Assistant
Stephen.Scott@longbeach.gov
Stephen Scott has served as the Customer Services Bureau Manager in the Department of Technology Services (TSD) since June 2007. In this capacity, Mr. Scott and his team are responsible for providing technology equipment and help desk services to City departments. The Bureau is also responsible for the operations and programming of the City’s government access television channel, LBTV 8.
Prior to joining TSD, Stephen was a member of the City Manager’s Office. As an Assistant to the City Manager, Mr. Scott coordinated the City’s performance management and business process improvement efforts. He also worked closely with the local arts and tourism communities.
Mr. Scott worked for several years as an Administrative Analyst in the City’s Budget Office. Stephen began his local government career working at the City of Sunnyvale, CA. He also served as the Assistant to the Village Administrator in Waunakee, WI.
Mr. Scott is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison’s LaFollette School of Public Affairs where he received his Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
David M. Wodynski, Manager, Budget and Performance Management Bureau
Department of Financial Management, City of Long Beach
2002-2003 Management Assistant
David Wodynski, who was the Manager of the Budget and Performance Management Bureau for the City of Long Beach since March 2007, passed away at the age of 40 in 2010. The Management Assistant Program was renamed the David Wodynski Memorial Fellowship in his honor.
As Bureau Manager, Mr. Wodynski oversaw both the Budget Office and the Performance Management Office, and was responsible for the development and implementation of the City's $2.3 billion annual operating budget as well as the integration of the City's commitment to performance management, known as Focus On Results (FOR) Long Beach. From 2003 - 2007, Mr. Wodynski served as the City's Budget Management Officer, assisting in the development and implementation of the Financial Strategic Plan that eliminated the $102 million structural deficit in the General Fund.
Prior to joining the City team as a Management Assistant in 2002, Mr. Wodynski served in a variety of municipal management and international development positions. Mr. Wodynski began his career with the Peace Corps, serving as a Volunteer in Tunisia from 1992 - 1994. Upon his return to the United States, Mr. Wodynski joined the International City/County Management Association's (ICMA) International Municipal Programs team, where he managed several municipal development programs in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan from 1995 - 2000. In 2002, following completion of his graduate studies, Mr. Wodynski served as a Public Finance Advisor with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), providing budgeting and finance technical assistance to cantons and municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mr. Wodynski is a graduate of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government where he received his Master's Degree in Public Administration in 2001. He received a Bachelor's Degree in History from the University of San Diego in 1992.
Tom Modica, Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Initiatives
City Manager’s Office, City of Long Beach
2002-2003 Management Assistant
Tom.Modica@longbeach.gov
Tom Modica serves as the Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Initiatives for the City of Long Beach. Formerly, Tom served as the Manager of Government Affairs for the City of Long Beach. During his tenure with the City, Tom played key roles in creating and implementing the City’s Three-Year Financial Strategic Plan to reduce its $102 million structural deficit, optimizing City services as the project manager for the Fire Services Optimization Study, and also participated in numerous Citywide taskforces and efforts, including leading the Boeing C-17 Red Team retention effort, the managing the Breakwater Reconnaissance study, and serving on the City’s Executive Management Team and Homeland Security Committee.
As the Manager of Government Affairs for the City of Long Beach, Tom coordinates the City’s local, state and federal government relations for all City departments, excluding Harbor and Water. He provides elected officials and management staff with timely information, analyses, and recommendations regarding various legislative issues and related intergovernmental activities. Tom is also responsible for working with the Mayor, City Council, and City Manager in setting State and Federal Legislative priorities for the City of Long Beach and works closely with the area elected officials and the City’s State and Federal advocates to carry out Long Beach’s legislative agenda and communicate the City’s legislative positions to the media.
Tom hails from Tucson, Arizona.He received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arizona. He and his wife, Stefanie, live in Long Beach.
John P. Keisler, Animal Care Bureau Manager
Department of Health & Human Services, City of Long Beach
2005-2006 Management Assistant
John.Keisler@longbeach.gov
John Keisler transitioned to the Department of Financial Management in 2006 to begin working as a Performance Management Analyst. His primary purpose of this position is to provide strategic, analytical and technical support to departments as they implement the City’s performance management program, Focus On Results (FOR) Long Beach.Mr. Keisler served as a 2005-2006 Management Assistant with rotations in the Budget Office, City Manager's Office, Department of Library Services and the Port of Long Beach.Some of Mr. Keisler's projects included the Port of Long Beach Information Management Business Plan and Intranet Development, the City’s Custodial Services Optimization, the Long Beach Challenge Community Outreach on Potential Tax Measures and providing staff support to various FOR Long Beach Committees.
Mr. Keisler's career path includes a lifetime of public service. After completing bachelor degrees in Philosophy and Religion at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, he signed up for Teach For America (an AmeriCorps program) and taught for three years at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Newark, New Jersey where he received the school district “Best Practices Award for Innovative Practices” as a first year teacher.
Turning to local government, Mr. Keisler worked for two years with the League of California Cities, Orange County Division and the Orange County Council of Governments as a Policy Assistant while finishing his Master of Public Administration at the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development. He currently serves on the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Committee for Preparing the Next Generation and as the Regional Chair for the Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC) in South Los Angeles.Mr. Keisler lives in the City of Long Beach, Belmont Shore with his beautiful wife Laura.
Renee K. Moilanen, Environmental Specialist Associate
Port of Long Beach
2005-2006 Management Assistant
moilanen@polb.com
Renee is an Environmental Specialist Associate with the Port of Long Beach's Environmental Planning Division. In this role Ms. Moilanen develops and implements the Port's first community grant program, manages $1.6 million in federal greant and helps develop policies to reduce port-related air pollution. Prior to this, Ms. Moilanen was the Administrative Coordinator for the Communications Division at the Port of Long Beach.
Renee Moilanen was born and raised in Miami, Fla., but now considers herself a true Californian. Ms. Moilanen joined the City of Long Beach in 2005 as a Management Assistant, where she helped lead projects such as a comprehensive review of public information and marketing, an evaluation of the jail medical program, and the adoption of national public health standards for the Health Department. In 2006, Ms.Moilanen joined the Harbor Department as an Administrative Coordinator for the Communications Division, where she oversees budgeting and purchasing and assists with project management, community outreach and special events.
Ms.Moilanen graduated from the University of Florida in 1998 with a degree in English and minors in Religion and Women’s Studies and received her Master of Public Policy from UCLA in 2005. Prior to her work in government, Ms.Moilanen was a reporter at several daily newspapers in the Bay Area and Southern California, including the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Breeze. She won numerous local, state, and national awards for her articles on education and municipal issues, and she was named a fellow at the Institute of Educational Inquiry in Seattle.
Renee lives in Redondo Beach with her husband, Leigh, an aerospace engineer and fellow Gator.
Eric Lopez, Administrative Analyst
Department of Community Development, City of Long Beach
2006-2007 Management Assistant
Eric.Lopez@longbeach.gov
Eric Lopez is currently an Administrative Analyst in the Project Development Bureau at the City of Long Beach Department of Community Development. Eric works on various development projects, including the Schroeder Hall U.S. Army Reserve Center Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) project and the Colorado Lagoon Restoration project. Eric is also responsible for certain Bureau accounting and budgetary responsibilities. Before joining Community Development Eric served as a Management Assistant, and rotated through the Health Department, City Manager’s Office, Community Development and Financial Management. As a Management Assistant, Eric spearheaded the Health Financing Optimization Study, worked closely with City staff on the Schroeder Hall BRAC project, and temporarily served as the City’s Budget Analyst for the Department of Health and Human Services and Financial Management.
Eric received his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Chicana/o Studies from UCLA in 2004. While at UCLA Eric was an active member of the campus and greater Los Angeles community and held several leadership roles, including: Chairman and Budget Director of the Associated Students of UCLA Community Service Mini Fund; Director of the Barrio Youth Alternatives, a tutoring and mentoring program in South Central Los Angeles; and Assistant Director of a student- initiated, run, and funded retention program.
During his junior year at UCLA, Eric participated in the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. His participation in Princeton’s PPIA Junior Summer Institute convinced Eric of the value of pursuing graduate coursework in Public Affairs. In 2004, Eric accepted an admission offer to the University of Michigan and received a graduate fellowship. Upon graduating from Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, Eric joined the City of Long Beach as a Management Assistant.
Ashley Atkinson, Administrative Analyst
Long Beach Redevelopment Agency
2007-2008 Management Assistant
Ashley.Atkinson@longbeach.gov
Ashley Atkinson is currently an Administrative Analyst with the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency. In this capacity, she supports executive and managerial staff through budgeting, financial analysis and reporting. During her term as a Management Assistant, she rotated through the Police, Development Services and Financial Management departments as well as the City Manager's office.
Ashley joined the Management Assistant Program after graduating from the University of Southern California, where she received a dual Master’s degree in Public Administration and Planning. Ashley attended USC’s School of Policy, Planning and Development as a recipient of the school’s Dean’s Merit Scholarship. While pursuing her degree, she served as an intern with the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, the City of Bell Gardens and the City of Beverly Hills.
Prior to enrolling at USC, Ashley spent two years teaching English at a public high school in Japan as a participant in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Ashley earned her undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was named Outstanding Graduating Senior in Public Relations.
She is an active member of the International City/County Management Association, the American Society for Public Administration, the Municipal Management Association of Southern California, the American Planning Association and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Nancy Villaseñor, Administrative Analyst
Department of Human Resources, City of Long Beach
2007-2008 Management Assistant
Nancy.Villasenor@longbeach.gov
Nancy currently works as an Administrative Analyst in the Department of Human Resources. She first served the City of Long Beach while still in high school as a peer advocate for the Department of Health and Human Resources. Other work experiences include community organizer and grant writer for a Los Angeles nonprofit where she now serves as president of the board of directors, planning intern for the City of Torrance, teaching assistant at the UCLA School of Public Affairs, Management Assistant with the City of Long Beach, Stormwater Division Analyst for the Long Beach Department of Public Works and nine years in the Army Reserve.
Nancy graduated from Millikan High School in Long Beach, received a Bachelor’s Degree in History with a minor in Chicana/o Studies from UCLA and a Master of Arts Degree in Urban Planning from the UCLA School of Public Affairs.
Raised in Long Beach, Nancy is proud to serve the community she grew up in.
Grace H. Yoon, Budget Analyst
Department of Financial Management, City of Long Beach
2007-2008 Management Assistant
Grace.Yoon@longbeach.gov
Grace Yoon is currently working as a Budget Analyst in the Department of Financial Management, where she works with a team to assemble and develop the City’s annual operating budget. In addition, Budget Office staff provides analysis for citywide collective bargaining negotiations; monitors capital expenditures and fund balances; evaluates and makes recommendations on budget appropriations requests; drafts reports for the City’s management team, Mayor and City Council; and provides training and guidance on citywide budget process to all departments and levels of the organization. Before joining Financial Management, Grace worked in the Department of Human Resources and started with the City as a 2007-2008 Management Assistant.
Grace is a graduate of the NYU Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, where she earned her Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a specialization in international development. For her thesis project, she researched success indicators for youth livelihood programs, traveling to Nigeria to conduct in-depth case studies. While pursuing her degree, she also worked for the Local Initiative Support Corporation as the project manager of a program working to build the organizational technology capacity of community development corporations.
Prior to her graduate studies, Grace spent a year teaching English in South Korea through the Fulbright Scholarship Program. She received her Bachelor's degree in Human Development from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. During her senior year, she was awarded a grant from the University to conduct a research project on the underutilization of mental health services for Korean American immigrants. Grace now resides with her husband, a youth pastor, in Orange.
Matthew Veeh, Director of Government & Public Affairs
Long Beach Water Department
2008-2009 Management Assistant
Matthew.Veeh@longbeach.gov
Matthew Veeh is the Director of Government & Public Affairs for the Long Beach Water Department. He reports directly to the Department's General Manager. Mr. Veeh is responsible for all communication, media relations and public opinion as it relates to water supply, use, quality, safety, cost and distribution, including actions of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. He is also responsible for directing all legislative and general governmental liaison activities before the Executive and Legislative branches of the Federal and State Government, and serves as the Department's principal liaison to all industry related, governmental, non-governmental and public interest organizations at the local, state and federal level.
Prior to joining the Water Department, Matt participated in the City of Long Beach Management Assistant Program. Over the course of the year, he had the opportunity to rotate through the City’s Financial Management, City Manager, Human Resources and Water Departments. He spent a significant amount of his time in the program focusing on government affairs issues, both for the City Manager and Water Departments.
Before coming to Long Beach, Matt served as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Department of Defense at the Space and Missile Systems Center in El Segundo, California. While there, he worked on a variety of projects in both the cost and budget divisions of the Financial Management department. He was the lead analyst on a number of comprehensive analysis projects, including an Economic Impact Analysis for the LA Air Force Base, which provided an estimated value of the base’s economic impact on the Los Angeles County area.
Matt earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles and his Master of Business Administration degree from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis.
Jordan Syms, Analyst
Long Beach Airport
2008-2009 Management Assistant, City of Long Beach
Jordan.Syms@longbeach.gov
A native of Altadena, California, Jordan Syms is currently a Management Assistant with the City of Long Beach. Jordan Is a recent graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, were he recieved a Master's in Urban Planning from the School of Public Affairs. While pursuing his degree, Jordan served as a Policy and Economic Analysis Intern for the Los Angeles Alliance for a new Economy and as an Immigrant Integration Coordinator for the California Community Foundation. Jordan's internship experience also includes assisting the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles improve access to quality housing for section 8 tenants. Before joining the City of Long Beach, he worked on the Harbor communities Time/Location Study at UCLA's Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies. This study examined the amount of time residents of port-adjacent communities in Long Beach and Los Angeles spent in various enviroments to quantify exposure to port pollutants.
Prior to enrolling at UCLA, Jordan spent two years as a 6th-8th grade history and science teacher at Carden of the Foothills School in Monrovia, California. Jordan earned a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. During his undergraduate studies he tutored middle school children in the Oakland Unified School District and actively sought to improve the quality of public education in the state of California.
Jordan is an active member in the Los Angeles branch of the American Planning Association and an avid guitar player.
Charlene Angsuco
2011-2011 Management Assistant
Charlene.Angsuco@longbeach.gov
Charlene Angsuco is currently a Management Assistant for the City of Long Beach. She received her Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the School of Planning, Policy, and Design at the University of California, Irvine. While pursuing her graduate education, she interned in the Office of Sustainability and Planning Bureau at the City of Long Beach where she was instrumental in the development of a grant application which awarded the City $418,000 for streetscape improvement projects along the Atlantic Avenue corridor. Prior to the Management Assistant Program, she spent a year in the Comprehensive Planning Division at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) whose efforts included linking land use and transportation to create a more livable and sustainable region.
Charlene received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Berkeley where she doubled-majored in Political Science and Social Welfare. As an undergraduate student, she developed an interest in California politics and education policy and pursued those interests through an internship at the California Department of Education in the Executive Office of State Superintendent Jack O’Connell. During her time at CDE, she researched programs and policies to help reduce the educational achievement gap that exists between various ethnic and socioeconomic groups. As a student, she was involved in a number of educational organizations tutoring youth in Oakland, Berkeley, and as well as inmates from the San Quentin State Prison. In more of a policy role, she participated in lobbying efforts with the Cal Lobby Corps who advocated for higher education access, affordability, and quality to California State lawmakers. She is a recipient of the Cal Alumni Scholarship and Leadership Award and is a UC Center Sacramento Scholar-Intern Alumna.
Brendan Keeler
2011-2012 Management Assistant
Brendan.Keeler@longbeach.gov
Brendan Keeler is a Management Assistant with the City of Long Beach. He is currently engaged in various projects to assist Long Beach Airport Managers including a cost-recovery analysis on parking facilities, a cash flow procedures manual for the Airport’s revenue streams, and formulating a department-wide policy for handling outstanding accounts receivable.
Prior to joining the Management Assistant Program, Brendan was a member of Teach for America and taught high school chemistry and physics at South East High School in South Gate, California. He also worked with the California Energy Commission in Sacramento as an Energy Analyst in the Renewable Energy Department and with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s Bicycle Program.
Brendan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount University, and a Master of Urban Planning degree with a concentration in Transportation and Infrastructure Planning from the University of Southern California.
Brendan currently resides with his wife, Kelly, in Redondo Beach.
Ajay Kolluri
2011-2012 Management Assistant
Ajay.Kolluri@longbeach.gov
Ajay Kolluri is currently a Management Assistant for the City of Long Beach with planned rotations in Public Works, Human Resources, Financial Management and the City Manager’s Office. Before working for the City, Ajay earned a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where he tailored his coursework for a career in public finance. In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ajay experienced cold for the first time and vowed never to let it happen again.
While earning his graduate degree, Ajay interned for the Office of Management and Budget, where he helped the Treasury division study ways to levy medical providers who are delinquent on Federal tax debt. Before graduate school, Ajay also worked as a Research Analyst at LECG and assisted expert witnesses in calculating damages related to securities fraud for court cases.
Ajay is a native of California and grew up in Sunnyvale, located in Northern California. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has also interned at Maxim Integrated Products, a semiconductor company where he helped track the financial performance of new products. Ajay enjoys surfing, biking, and playing the drums, and sorely misses Michigan intramural broomball.
Where Are They Now?
Positions held by former Management Assistants outside of the City of Long Beach include: City Manager (Lafayette, CA); Town Manager (Grand Chute, WI); City Manager (Santa Paula, CA); Assistant City Manager (Novato, CA); Director of Administrative Services (Los Alamitos, CA); Local Government/Community Relations Representative (Long Beach Transit); Deputy of Constituent Services for the Democratic National Convention, and District Director for a State Senator.
Suzanne R. Mason, Director of Human Resources
County of Napa
1984-1985 Management Assistant
Suzanne Mason is the Director of Human Resources for the County of Napa. Ms. Mason was formerly the Director of Human Resources for the City of Long Beach. In this role, she coordinated recruitment, hiring and the development processes for over 6,000 employees. In addition, the Human Resources Department coordinates labor relations with the nine employee organizations, employee benefits and risk management functions, including coordination of Workers’ Compensation functions. Ms. Mason sees the Human Resources Department as a strategic partner in helping Departments achieve their goals for the residents and businesses of Long Beach.
Prior to assuming her current role in 2007, Ms. Mason served as Deputy City Manager four years and has worked in a variety of City Departments during her 23 years with the City of Long Beach. Ms. Mason began her career with the City of Long Beach in 1984, immediately following completion of her education, as a Management Assistant with the City Manager’s office. She has worked as the Manager of Business Operations in the Long Beach Energy Department, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and as a Budget Analyst in the Department of Financial Management.
Ms. Mason is a graduate of the University of Southern California (USC) and received her Master’s Degree in Public Administration, with an emphasis on Intergovernmental Management. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of California at Santa Barbara, with an emphasis on Urban History, and was the recipient of the Buchanan Award, which is bestowed on the most outstanding graduate in History Department. Ms. Mason is also a graduate of Harvard’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program.
Debra Hunter Holloway, PMP
President Information Design Consultants, Inc.
1988-1989 Management Intern
dholloway@idcinc.net
Debra Hunter Holloway is president of Information Design Consultants, Inc. IDCI employs a vast network of highly qualified, senior-level consultants who have worked in and understand diverse corporate and non-profit environments. IDCI services include: Strategic Planning, Project Management, Client Advocacy, Systems Integration, Document Management, Customer Relationship Management, Training and Development, and Technical Writing. Ms. Holloway serves as a technology leader for IDCI’s clients – assisting them with selecting technology options that enhance their business revenues.
After participating in the Management Assistant Program, Ms. Hunter Holloway worked for Price Waterhouse as a consultant. Ms. Holloway says that participating in the City of Long Beach Management Intern program gave her an opportunity to develop the skills to work collaboratively with employees at all levels. "Being a Management Intern was an incredible experience. The variety of experiences was key to helping in me develop the skills needed to be a successful consultant. I feel fortunate to have been a part of the program."
Ms. Hunter Holloway holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles and a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from The Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ms. Holloway is a resident of San Pedro and still enjoys visiting the City of Long Beach.
Mark Pulido, District Director
Office of Senator Alan S. Lowenthal
Board Member, ABC Unified School District Board of Education
1997-1998 Management Assistant
Mark Pulido is currently serving his second term as an elected member of the ABC Unified School District Board of Education (serving the cities of Artesia, Cerritos and Hawaiian Gardens and portions of Lakewood, Long Beach and Norwalk). Mr. Pulido works for the California Legislature as the district director to Senator Alan S. Lowenthal, managing the Senator’s district staff and offices located in Long Beach and Paramount.
Mr. Pulido gained valuable experience and enjoyed participating in the Management Assistant Program from 1997-1998, having worked with the Community Development, Financial Management, and Parks Recreation and Marine departments and the City Manager’s Office. Following the Management Assistant Program, Mr. Pulido joined the Redevelopment Bureau of the Community Development Department as an Administrative Analyst.
In 2000, Mr. Pulido joined the staff of the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles and went to work for the California Legislature after the convention. From 2000-04, Mr. Pulido served on the staff of the past three Speakers of the California State Assembly – Robert M. Hertzberg, Herb Wesson Jr. and Fabian Nunez. In January 2005, Mr. Pulido joined the staff of Senator Alan S. Lowenthal as his district director.
Mr. Pulido holds a Master of Public Policy from The University of Chicago, where he was a Woodrow Wilson National Fellow. Mr. Pulido also holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Asian American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles where he served as UCLA Student Body President. Mr. Pulido is married and lives in Cerritos.
Dan Rosenfeld, Local Government/Community Relations Representative
Long Beach Transit
2001-2002 Management Assistant
Dan Rosenfeld is currently working at the Los Angeles County Health Department with Project RENEW (Renewing Environments for Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness), a program addressing the obesity epidemic. He serves as grant manager for several bicycling related programs and an effort to create a county healthy development design ordinance.
Following his participation in the MA program, Mr. Rosenfeld worked for two-and-a-half years in the City’s Parks, Recreation, and Marine Department and for four years at Long Beach Transit. “I always tell people what a great opportunity Management Assistants have,” Mr. Rosenfeld says. “In the course of a single year, you work in several city departments and at various levels of the city organization. It takes most people a good part of their career to gain that kind of perspective.”
Mr. Rosenfeld holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles and a master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University Long Beach. Mr. Rosenfeld and his wife Karen, who grew up in the city, live on the east side of Long Beach, where they are raising their two daughters, Molly and Samantha.
Chris Rich, Senior Project Coordinator
Office of the Chief Executive, County of Santa Barbara
2004-2005 Management Assistant
Chris Rich has recently accepted a position as a Senior Project Coordinator in County of Santa Barbara's Chief Executive Office. Here, he'll serve as lead staff to the CEO for the "Village Center" project, which involves the development of new sustainable communities throughout Santa Barbara County.
In his previous job, Mr. Rich worked as an Administrative Analyst in the Technology Services Department. In his role, Mr. Rich provides strategic and business planning support to the Director of Technology Services. This included IT and telecommunications research and analysis, vendor coordination, contract management, and staff support for the City’s internal and external technology advisory committees. In addition, Mr. Rich was involved with managing technology initiatives that affected a wide cross-section of City departments. Examples of initiatives included a citywide WiFi network, a 3-1-1 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program, an optimization study of citywide IT services, and an enterprise performance management software acquisition.
Prior to working for the Technology Services Department, Mr. Rich worked as a Management Assistant with a variety of City departments including Community Development, Technology Services, Financial Management and the City Manager’s Office. Before his work with the City, Mr. Rich worked in the nonprofit sector and was a teacher with Teach For America in New Orleans, LA.
Mr. Rich received his Master’s Degree in public administration from the University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Policy, Planning, and Development, where he received the Dean’s Merit Scholarship. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he received the Jenkins-Stark scholarship for educational achievement.
Robert Shaw, Associate Attorney
Akerman Senterfitt, Los Angeles
2004-2005 Management Assistant
Robert Shaw has recently accepted a position as an Associate Attorney with the Los Angeles office of the law firm Ackerman Senterfitt. Prior to this Mr. Shaw served as the Assistant to the Director of Public Works where he oversaw the Department of Public Works' Strategic Business Plan development and assisted in building the Department's Performance Based Budget and the City's Capital Budget. Mr. Shaw also worked to coordinate interdepartmental communications and provide elected officials with timely project development information.
Mr. Shaw started with the City in 2004 as a Management Assistant. While in the Management Assistant Program, Mr. Shaw provided support for the City's commitment to internal optimization efforts, having participated in the Citywide Health Benefits, Parts Room and Towing optimizations. Mr. Shaw also worked on several land use related projects, such as the Douglas Park Development.
Mr. Shaw is a competitive cyclist and triathlon participant. A member of the California State Bar Association, Mr. Shaw graduated from the Syracuse College of Law (J.D.) and the Maxwell School of Citizenship of Public Affairs (M.P.A.) in 2004. He received a Bachelor's Degree in 2001 from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania.
Meredith K. Reynolds, Environmental Programs Administrator
Community Services Department, City of Irvine
2005-2006 Management Assistant
Meredith Reynolds is currently the Environmental Programs Administrator for the City of Irvine. Here Ms. Reynolds is responsible for managing the Environmental Programs Division including 3.5 FTEs, a $1.9 million operating budget and a $2.3 million federal energy grant; leading the development of a municipal sustainability plan; facilitating the Green Ribbon Environmental Committee; developing recommendations for the City Manager and City Council that demonstrate the City’s commitment to environmental stewardship; and identifying grants and award programs that will help fund and/or showcase the City’s environmental programs.
Ms. Reynolds was previously a Sustainability Coordinator with the Office of Sustainability at the City of Long Beach. Here Ms. Reynolds was part of a team that was responsible for facilitating the process of developing and implementing model sustainability programs for the City of Long Beach, including managing the Sustainable City Commission; tracking and inventorying the City’s carbon footprint through the Climate Action Registry; creating green building guidelines for public and private development; exploring green waste, composting, biodiesel and solar projects; and working on air and water quality and alternative transportation initiatives. Prior to her role in the Office of Sustainability, Ms. Reynolds worked as an Administrative Analyst for the Department of Development Services and started with the City of Long Beach in the Management Assistant Program in 2005, with rotations and projects in the Department of Planning and Building, the Department of Financial Management, the City Manager’s Office and the Department of Human Resources.
Ms. Reynolds has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University with a concentration in Local Government Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration with a minor in Organizational Communication from California State University, Chico. Ms. Reynolds is an alumni of the Coro Fellowship Program in Public Affairs in San Francisco and a member of ICMA and MMASC.
Heather Martin Zeilman, Sustainability Director
Colorado Yurt Co.
2006-2007 Management Assistant
Heather Martin Zeilman is the Sustainability Director for the Colorado Yurt Company. Prior to her role with the Colorado Yurt Company, Heather Martin moved to the City of Long Beach in September 2007 to begin her role as Management Assistant for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. As Management Assistant, she rotated through the Bureaus of Community Outreach, Maintenance Operations, Business Operations and Planning and Development. Upon her completion, she was able to stay on with Planning and Development as an analyst. Her primary role is overseeing capital improvement projects in the tidelands areas. In addition to project management, she oversees budgeting, community outreach and special events.
Heather graduated from Mississippi State University in May 2001 in Communication/Public Relations. She completed her Masters of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management in December 2005, and her Masters of Public Administration in government and planning from North Carolina State University in May 2006. Before moving to Long Beach, she worked as Planning Technician for Wake County's Department of Parks, Recreation and Open Space; she performed as campaign manager for SmartCommute and the annual SmartCommute Challenge promoting transportation and commuting alternatives; and she was the Graduate Assistant for NCSU's Outdoor Adventure program leading outdoor trips for students and staff.
Lily Liu, Senior Policy Analyst
City of New York Department of Education
2006-2007 Management Assistant
Lily Liu currently works for the Department of Education in the City of New York as a Senior Policy Analyst. She develops fiscal policies, conducts special studies and management inquiries and assists in managing the department’s $20 billion budget. Committed to civic engagement, Lily has spoken at the Transparency Camp roundtable discussion and has founded PublicStuff, which is an initiative to connect people with their local governments. She was recently accepted into the New York Women's Social Entrepreneurship Incubator Program, which identifies six budding women entrepreneurs and enables them to bring to life their social enterprises by providing support and structure from leading experts in the social entrepreneurship field, peer support, and team support.
Prior to this, Lily participated in the Management Rotational Program, and later served as the Special Assistant to the Public Works Department Director. Working in the City of Long Beach offered her invaluable experience working on high level projects in local government. Lily holds a Bachelor of Science in Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University along with a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University.
Timothy Hou, Redevelopment Project Manager
Community Development Department, City of Burbank
2006-2007 Management Assistant
thou@ci.burbank.ca.us
Timothy Hou currently serves as Redevelopment Project Manager for the Redevelopment Agency in the City of Burbank. The mission of the Burbank Redevelopment Agency is to remove blight, create and retain jobs, and improve and preserve affordable housing within the city of Burbank. Timothy formerly served as a Project Manager and Administrative Analyst for the City of Long Beach Redevelopment Agency in the Department of Development Services. During Timothy’s tenure with the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency, his projects focused primarily on neighborhood and commercial revitalization, infrastructure and capital improvements, public safety projects as well as public art projects within both the North Long Beach Project Area and the West Long Beach Industrial Project Area. Timothy's previous work experience includes BlueFocus PR Consulting in Beijing, the US Department of Veterans Affairs-Memorial Affairs in Washington, D.C., Rock the Vote in Los Angeles, and the City of Redondo Beach.
Timothy holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, with a concentration in Public and Nonprofit Management. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Jason Kintner
2008-2009 Management Assistant
Originally from Stanwood, Washington, Jason Kintner has joined the Management Assistant Program for the City of Long Beach in 2008. Jason Kintner currently serves as the Park Manager for the City of Mercer Island, Washington. Mr. Kintner is responsible for managing, coordinating, and facilitating the maintenance of over 460 acres of parks and open spaces that include areas of multi-use athletic fields, playgrounds, sport courts, swimming beaches, waterfront access areas, hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Jason joined the Management Assistant Program in 2008 and completed rotations in the Technology Services Department, Financial Management, Parks, Recreation and Marine, and the City Manager’s Office.
Jason holds of Bachelor of Arts in History from George Fox University, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Seattle University. He and his wife, Amber, currently reside in Seattle.
**If you are an alumni of the City of Long Beach Management Assistant Program, we would love to hear from you! To have your most recent information included on our website, contact:
Nancy Villaseñor
Administrative Analyst
City of Long Beach
(562) 570-6060
Nancy.Villasenor@longbeach.gov
