Dee Williams-Ridley, currently the deputy city manager for the city of Modesto, has been named as the new deputy city manager for the city of Berkeley.
For the past four years at Modesto Williams-Ridley oversaw human resources, public information, information technology, public works, and the community and economic development departments, in addition to working closely with the Modesto City Council on city-wide strategic planning.
“Dee’s commitment to public service, community engagement, and cultivating strong team environments made her a clear choice to help manage this dynamic city,” said Berkeley City Manager Christine Daniel, who made the selection after a nationwide search.
Williams-Ridley replaces William Rogers, the former deputy city manager, who left in September 2014 to become COO for Goodwill Enterprises in San Francisco. Beth Pollard, the former city manager of Albany, has been acting deputy since Rogers’ departure, and will continue to serve under Daniel until Williams-Ridley comes on board Feb. 9.
Williams-Ridley ‘s gross annual salary for 2014 in Modesto was $172,535, according to the city of Modesto’s website. Rogers’ gross salary, as of April 2014, was $180,026.
In a press release issued by the city of Berkeley on Jan. 8, Chief Galen Carroll of the Modesto police department expressed appreciation for Williams-Ridley’s leadership: “The City of Modesto is losing a strong pillar of our leadership team as Dee Williams-Ridley moves into her new role at the City of Berkeley. Dee leads by example and has been a steadfast beacon of calm through some of the tough times our city has faced in the past five years. She emphasizes working together with all stakeholders in order to ‘Get to Yes’ for the benefit of the community. We are losing a high-performing leader in our city and she will be greatly missed.”
Among the management experiences Williams-Ridley brings to Berkeley are strategic planning, labor relations, budgeting and performance measurement. She is the chair of the Committee on Diverse Communities for the League of California Cities. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Government from California State University, Sacramento.
“I am absolutely excited to begin working with one of the most progressive cities in the state of California and looking forward to meeting the staff, building relationships and understanding their needs and those of the community,” Williams-Ridley said in the release. “I believe in working together to achieve success, as the best laid plans are the result of a collaborative effort.”
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