After seven years as Sacramento City Attorney, Susana Alcala Wood is stepping down, having accepted the same position in San Jose.
Wood was unanimously appointed by the San Jose city council during a closed session on Tuesday. She will take over in November after the retirement of Nora Frimann.
Wood is a highly accomplished legal mind with over 35 years of experience in municipal law. She has worked for the cities of El Monte, Modesto, and Stockton in addition to Sacramento.
In 2022, Wood was appointed to the state’s Reproductive Rights Task Force. She currently heads the City Attorney’s Department for Cal Cities and is president-elect of the International Municipal Lawyer’s Association.
Wood was selected after a nationwide recruitment effort.
“I was really impressed with a number of things about Susana — just being her wealth of experience serving in different cities, grappling with the challenges that big cities face, her handling of tough issues, having her city sued by a DA and ultimately guiding the city to a really productive outcome there,” said Mayor Matt Mahan, as quoted by the San Jose Spotlight.
“San Jose is a big city with big challenges — challenges that I am looking forward to tackling,” Wood said in a statement. “It’s a city that has always been on the forefront of innovation both inside and outside of city government and I’m excited to continue that legacy from the City Attorney’s office.”