Monrovia City Manager Moving to Glendale

At tonight’s Monrovia City Council meeting, City Manager Scott Ochoa tendered his letter of resignation, effective January 2, 2012. This move came after the members of the Glendale City Council had, at their afternoon City Council meeting, appointed him as Glendale’s next City Manager. Ochoa’s tenure in Glendale will begin on January 3, 2012.

Ochoa has held the City Manager position in Monrovia since March 2004.

He began working for the City of Monrovia as an intern in 1993, while in his senior year at Claremont McKenna College. After graduating from Claremont McKenna with a Bachelor of Arts in Government in 1993, Ochoa earned a fulltime position with the City. While working in Monrovia, Ochoa obtained a Master’s Degree at the USC School of Public Administration with an emphasis in public sector entrepreneurship. Prior to his appointment as Monrovia’s City Manager, Scott held various management positions in the City Manager’s office, including Assistant City Manager and Assistant Executive Director of the Redevelopment Agency.

As the City Manager of Monrovia, under the general direction of the City Council, Ochoa managed an aggressive economic development program, worked to balance quality of life issues with fiscal constraints and development pressure, and restructured the organization to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing business environment. His management philosophy was predicated on values-based management, exceptional customer service, and precision execution.

“My colleagues and I will miss Scott Ochoa, his leadership and professionalism are unparalleled – Glendale is getting a great City Manager” said Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz. 

Ochoa is currently very active in economic development activities in the San Gabriel Valley, serving on the Board of Directors of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, and as the Chair of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Technical Advisory Committee. He is also Past-President of the San Gabriel Valley City Managers’ Association, Past-President of the Monrovia Kiwanis Club, and is an active member of the Boys & Girls of the Foothills Board of Directors.

“I could not be prouder or more appreciative of my time in Monrovia,” wrote Ochoa in letter of resignation. “City Councils have worked in partnership with community leaders and staff to accomplish amazing feats – from attracting new development, to reimagining entire sections of town, to surviving and even thriving through the Great Recession, to building a new public library. Monrovia taught me about who I am, and what a motivated and focused group of people are able to accomplish when they work together.”

Ochoa will succeed Glendale City Manager Jim Starbird, who will be retiring in December after 14 years of service to the City of Glendale. Starbird is himself a former Monrovia City Manager, having worked in Monrovia during the 1970’s and 1980’s.

"Glendale is a wonderful community – diverse, well-managed and progressive. I hope to add the benefit of my experiences to this dynamic organization and validate the City Council's trust and confidence in me” said Ochoa. “Following a manager of Jim Starbird's caliber is no easy task; however, with a high-performance management team, dedicated employees, and clearly defined and ambitious expectations from the Council, I look forward to the challenge. I can't wait to begin serving Glendale."

- Brad Haugaard (from City of Monrovia press release)