Carolynn Petru had been with the city since 1986.
The Rancho Palos Verdes native first held the position of assistant planner. She became assistant city manager in 1998 and served the roles interim city clerk and recreation and parks director at one point.
In February 2014, she assumed the role of acting city manager and held the position for a year. At her last city council meeting as acting city manager, Mayor Jim Knight praised her work, saying she had done “an exemplary job of leading us forward and carrying us forward through some hard times … you, if anybody, know this city inside and out.”
Reflecting back on her 29 years with the city, she said “I really, truly believe that local government is the level of government that makes the biggest difference in people’s daily lives, especially in a small city like RPV, you have an ability to make changes that really improve things for the residents.”
She might pursue creative writing or decorative art once her retirement is official.
Image Credit: Flickr User chrismar, https://flic.kr/p/nCStod via (CC BY-NC 2.0)