Dublin City Manager Christopher L. Foss’s four decades in public service are coming to a close. Foss announced his retirement Tuesday, effective Dec. 31, 2019, according to Patch. Assistant City Manager Linda Smith was appointed to the position the same day.
Foss has served as city manager for the past five years but has been with Dublin for two decades. The city cited a number of development and park projects among his successes.
“It has been my great pleasure to work with Chris Foss over the last several years. His leadership and professional guidance helped to make Dublin a great place to live, work and raise a family,” said Dublin Mayor David Haubert. “The city council has the utmost confidence in Linda’s ability to carry on the values of professional leadership, coupled with her enduring passion for this community. She is the right person to lead Dublin into the future.”
Foss called it an honor to have worked for the city for so long. He praised the Council’s hiring of Smith, calling her “the most qualified person to lead Dublin into the future.”
Smith was first hired as assistant to the city manager in 2009. She moved up the ranks, becoming economic development director and then assistant city manager. She has worked in local government for 17 years. Before that, she had a private sector marketing career in which she performed work for several tech companies in the Silicon Valley.
Smith is a graduate of San Jose State University and a member of numerous organizations, including the International City Management Association, the Municipal Management Association of Northern California, Dublin Rotary, and Dublin Partners in Education where she serves as vice president of the board.
“It is a privilege to serve the city council and I am grateful they selected me to lead this incredible organization of dedicated staff,” Smith said. “Dublin is a dynamic community with a rich diversity of people and opinions and it’s a place that I am proud to call ‘home.'”