Marc Mondell knows he has some big shoes to fill. He was hired last month to replace Tulare City Manager Rob Hunt, who had spent 29 years in various positions with the city. Mondell will oversee a city with its fair share of challenges such as homelessness, groundwater supply issues, and pension obligations. But he’s also coming in with an $18 million windfall thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act.
Mondell most recently served as director of economic and community development in Rocklin. He also served as Rocklin’s assistant city manager. He’s a University of Florida grad with masters degrees in architecture and urban and regional planning. He has 25 years of experience in development.
Mondell prefers city life, according to the Sun Gazette. His wife is a country girl. Together, they found a comfortable balance in Tulare.
“There’s a lot of desire and interest in the community, I think its growing in its reputation for quality. It’s always been known, and frankly, internationally known, for its agricultural foundations and its dairy industry, but I think now you see people are looking at Tulare for its quality schools and the quality of life in the community,” Mondell told the Gazette. “You see a lot of new homes being built and there’s a lot of interest in trying to find ways of balancing agriculture, that is sort of the heritage of the community and still a very big part of the local economy, with bringing in other opportunities for letting the community become fiscally sustainable. I think my skill set aligns very nicely with what Tulare needs as we head into the future.”
Read more about Tulare’s new city manager and what he hopes to accomplish here.