Milpitas has hired San Jose Deputy City Manager Julie Edmonds-Mares as its new top administrator. Her selection was approved by the city council on January 16 following a national recruitment drive. She was one of six candidates interviewed for the position.
“Julie is a seasoned and community-oriented leader with the right experience necessary to engage our richly diverse community,” said Vice-Mayor Marsha Grilli. “Her experience working with a variety of stakeholders to provide excellent municipal services will serve the Milpitas community well.”
Edmonds-Mares has more than 30 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. She has been with the City of San Jose for the past 11 years, having previously served as its Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Director. For 12 years prior, she served as deputy director of budget and research, assistant to the city manager, and human resources administrator in Tucson.
It has been a rocky year for Milpitas to say the least. The city’s last top administrator Tom Williams left in September amid allegations that he used public funds for personal attorney fees. Colleagues had also accused Williams of harassment, intimidation, and unethical dealings. And he has been at the center of a highly public spat with Mayor Rich Tran.
Steve Pangelinan has been in the interim position since Williams’ left, but he was unable to continue serving any longer. In the short period between his departure and Edmonds-Mares’ arrival, former Arroyo Grande city manager Dianne Thompson will assume the interim job. She was terminated from Arroyo Grande after less than a year for reasons that were never fully explained.
Until recently, Milpitas was also on the lookout for a new police chief. Last week, Armando Corpuz was finally named to that position, eliminating one more key vacancy in the city.
Read more about the recent changes in Milpitas here.