Rancho Palos Verdes City Manager Announces Retirement

PALOS VERDES, CA — Rancho Palos Verdes City Manager Doug Willmore announced Tuesday he will retire in November to pursue an opportunity in the private sector after more than four years with the City.

Willmore's final day will be Nov. 22. The council will determine how to proceed with selecting the next city manager in the near future, the City press release said. Willmore will retire from a career in public service spanning 15 years in order to pursue a position in the environmental industry, the press release said.

"I will be forever grateful to the City Council for offering me the position, and for challenging me and trusting me over the years to implement its vision. It’s rare that you build a relationship with a City Council that works as well as ours has, but we have done that," Mr. Willmore said. "Moreover, I will be forever grateful to my amazing staff for the incredible work they’ve done, for the spirit that they have brought to work each day, and for continuing to push me to do my best."

He came to Rancho Palos Verdes in March 2015 after "leading the financial turnaround of the City of Bell in under three years as the first permanent city manager in the wake of the 2010 corruption scandal," the Rancho Palos Verdes press release said.

Willmore also served as chief administrative officer in Salt Lake County, Utah for seven years before coming to California in 2011. He said it is "very bittersweet to leave such a wonderful city."

"We are grateful to Doug for his leadership and contributions to the City," said Mayor Pro Tem John Cruikshank. "We know he will leave the next city manager with a solid foundation for a path of continued success."

Under Willmore's leadership, Rancho Palos Verdes saw "increased transparency and continued stewardship of long-term financial stability," including a reduction of annual taxes and fees to residents by more than $2 million a year, the City press release said.

He also worked with the City Council on public safety initiatives to help reduce residential burglaries by nearly 50 percent in four years. He also worked on the development of Lower Hesse Park, plans for a new Ladera Linda Community Center, and the release of long-held National Park Service deed restrictions on the Civic Center property to allow for potential public safety facilities, the press release said.

"When Doug shared his plans with me, I was very happy for him, primarily due to his excitement and enthusiasm associated with his new endeavor. But I can honestly say I'm also very sad to see the City lose such an outstanding leader and steward," Mayor Jerry Duhovic said. "Being a City Manager, especially in a city like Rancho Palos Verdes, with such a knowledgeable, concerned and involved citizenry, is not an easy job. Doug always handled his duties professionally and competently, especially when dealing with very complex and contentious issues. On behalf of the entire City Council, Staff and residents, we thank Doug for a highly productive four-and-a-half-year tenure and wish him well in his next chapter."