Assistant City Manager Announces Retirement

She's worked in local government for 30 years, now Assistant City Manager Dana Smith says she will retire next month.

Smith is leaving Newport Beach to travel and consult part-time for CEO2, which works to help private companies improve business practices. Smith referred to Newport Beach as "a special place, with special people," and said she "learned that the great work we do here, to deliver extraordinary services, projects and programs for our residents and businesses, is what cities were intended to do."

City Manager Dave Kiff says no decision has been made regarding what to do with Smith's position following her retirement and adds her departure will leave a void in the city.

“Dana brought a wealth of knowledge and a depth of management experience to Newport Beach that will be very difficult to match," Kiff said in a released statement. "Her expertise in organizational development has been particularly helpful as we’ve been thoughtfully changing the shape of our organization’s structure and addressing budgetary issues."

Smith joined the city of Newport Beach in 2010. Throughout her career she also served as the assistant city manager for the city of Napa and Chula Vista. She was also the executive officer for the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission where she oversaw the formation of three cities and the consolidation of over 20 special districts.