At their meeting of November 2, 2020, the Sonoma City Council approved an employment agreement with Dave Kiff to serve as Interim City Manager of Sonoma. He will take the reins on January 1, 2021, after current City Manager Cathy Capriola steps down for retirement at the end of December.
Dave Kiff is currently serving as the Interim City Manager for the City of Healdsburg and will complete that assignment in December. Kiff recently spent four months with the City of Huntington Beach as its Interim City Manager as that city also conducted a recruitment for a permanent City Manager. Mr. Kiff worked for the City of Newport Beach for 20 years — nine of those as City Manager. Newport Beach has a full-time staff of about 730 people and an annual budget of about $223 million. Before that, he worked for the County of Orange, the City of Orange, and the California State Legislature. He brings a wealth of experience to the City of Sonoma. Mr. Kiff grew up in Healdsburg and has recently returned there to retire in Sonoma County.
“David Kiff brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. He knows Sonoma County and has successfully led Healdsburg’s COVID-19 response assisting businesses and residents alike. David’s experience and knowledge of the relevant county partners will ensure a smooth and stable transition period as the council works to hire a permanent city manager,” said Sonoma Mayor Logan Harvey.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dave on countywide issues over the last six months. Dave knows how to roll up his sleeves and get to work and with his excellent experience, he will be able to take the reins with little ramp up,” stated City Manager Cathy Capriola, who is retiring at the end of December.
“I’m looking forward to working with the City Council and staff to continue efforts helping Sonoma through economic and public health emergencies while the City continues to provide daily public services,” stated Mr. Kiff. “These are challenging times that require all of us to look at innovative ways to sustain city government, businesses, non-profits and community groups, and all of the programs and activities that make Sonoma special. While I doubt any one of us alone has the silver bullet to solve this crisis, if we can work together as residents, the Council, the community, the management team, and the business community, we’ll get through this.”