Wildomar City Manager Gary Nordquist To Retire

WILDOMAR, CA — After serving Wildomar for more than a decade, City Manager Gary Nordquist will retire effective Jan. 31, 2022. Wildomar Assistant Manager Dan York will take over the top job starting Feb. 1.

The official announcement came as part of the Dec. 15 Wildomar City Council year-end meeting that also saw the annual reorganization of the council. Effective Jan. 1, Councilman Ben Benoit will serve as mayor, while Councilman Joseph Morabito will serve as mayor pro team. Each year, council members appoint the two top spots on the dais. During 2021, Councilman Dustin Nigg served as mayor and Benoit as mayor pro tem.

Nordquist has served the city of Wildomar since 2009 and has worn many hats over the last 12 years. He was brought on as assistant city manager/finance director/treasurer/human resources director and risk manager for the small new city that was hit hard by the Great Recession.

Wildomar was incorporated in 2008 amid the economic downturn. Despite financial woes, the city's population had spiked 129 percent during the 10-year period between 2000 and 2010. Recent 2020 Census data show Wildomar has grown another 15 percent over the last decade to a population of 36,875.

Nordquist was appointed by the City Council to Wildomar city manager and general manager of the city's Cemetery District in 2012. He is largely credited with keeping the city fiscally afloat during very difficult times, which included the loss of the city's share of state Motor Vehicle License Fees starting in 2011. The fees were eventually reinstated in 2017, which coincided with a boom in the city's economy that included many new development projects.

Prior to serving Wildomar, Nordquist spent three years as the city of Ontario’s department administrator and 15 years at the city of Fontana, the last six serving as the director of management services.

Prior to public service, Nordquist worked in finance and project management for 12 years holding positions at TOSCO Corporation and Hughes Aircraft Company.

Nordquist has been honored for three consecutive years with Helen Putnam Awards from the League of California Cities for his work in financial management. He co-authored the “Night Life” energy-saving and recreation program, which was recognized by the California Parks and Recreation Society.

He was also selected by the Inland Empire Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration as Public Administrator of the Year and has been a contributing author for several books and articles as well as making presentations on public administration issues.