Malibu Welcomes Interim City Manager, Honors Feldman

MALIBU, CA — “One of the jokes you often hear when someone of your caliber leaves is, ‘Hey, make sure they leave a shoe behind, so the replacement knows how big of a shoe they have to fill,’” Public Safety Committee Vice Chair Doug Stewart told now former City Manager Reva Feldman during a nearly three-hour farewell Zoom call attended by hundreds.

“I don’t want to give up any shoes,” Feldman, known for her collection of high-heeled shoes, retorted.

The hefty task of filling Feldman’s shoes goes temporarily to Steve McClary, who was voted in unanimously by the City Council on Thursday and begins his new job Monday. McClary is the former Assistant City Manager for the City of Camarillo, and City Manager for the City of Ojai.

“”It’s a pleasure to be here,” McClary told the Council Thursday after his appointment. “I look forward to bringing some good things to the city of Malibu. I’ve got a lot of learning to do, and I look forward to getting started.”

McClary will be introduced to the community during the May 10 meeting, when the Council will vote to approve his contract. Meanwhile, a nationwide search is underway for Feldman’s permanent replacement, according to the Malibu Surfside News.

Malibu officials have offered encouragement - Councilmember Pierson told the Surfside News that he thinks McClary’s experience serving as city manager of a popular tourist destination like Ojai will help him in Malibu - but there are also some unanswered questions. In 2019, McClary resigned from his position as Ojai city manager after a seven-year tenure, after the City Council held several closed-door meetings about his performance, according to a report in the Ventura County Star.

McClary said that he left for “personal reasons.”

“From personal experience, I can tell you that managing any city is a challenge, but few are as demanding as Ojai. I wish Steve the best and thank him for his years of public service,” Ojai’s then Mayor Johnny Johnston said in a statement at the time, as reported by the Star.

Pierson told the Surfside News that the Council “discussed [McClary’s] whole career” and found “nothing negative.”

But there was no ambiguity Thursday night, when the great and good of Malibu and Los Angeles County gathered on Zoom to sing the praises of former City Manager Reva Feldman. Though Feldman has a vocal contingency of detractors, one certainly wouldn’t know it from watching her farewell testimonial, when one person after another praised what they saw as Feldman’s competence, tireless work ethic, impressive track record, and willingness to help.

Feldman has worked for Malibu since 2005 Feldman has worked for the city since 2005. She served as administrative services director and assistant city manager before she was appointed City Manager in 2016. She oversaw a number of high-profile projects during her consequential tenure, including:

• Growing the city's General Fund reserves from $7 to 30 million
• Helping establish the city's AA+/AAA bond rating
• The construction and renovations of City Hall, Civic Center Water Treatment Facility, Malibu Library, and the temporary skate park
• Capital improvement projects related to Legacy Park, Trancas Canyon Park, and Las Flores Creek Park

In 2019, Feldman was awarded the California City Management Foundation City Manager of the Year Award. A full list of her accomplishments, with photos to match, can be viewed in this tribute video created by city staff.

Mayor Paul Grisanti compared Feldman to Malibu’s search engine.

“Reva has been my search engine ever since I met her, and she’s got an amazing bandwidth of knowledge of the city, and I’ve never been able to stump her for more than five minutes,” he said. “I want to thank Reva for running the ‘university of how to run a city.’

Feldman’s other two supporters on the Council also praised Feldman.

“You have been my partner, you have challenged me, corrected me, reined me in...you have helped me evolve not only as a human, as a city councilor and legislator, because you’ve showed me a path to earn it,” said Councilmember Mikke Pierson. “You give and give and give, in your efforts, your work ethic, your passion, your caring are just unparalleled.”

“You get the job done quickly, efficiently, brilliantly, and you never look for the credit,” said Councilmember Karen Farrer. “The sign for me of a true professional, and I don’t care what it’s in, is you do a great job and you make it look easy, and I thank you for that.”

Councilmember Bruce Silverstein, whom Feldman has said is the reason she is resigning, did not attend. Neither did Steve Uhring, who, while nowhere near as confrontational as Silverstein, has supported his efforts to investigate Feldman and City Hall practices.

Feldman also received high praise from L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who called her “tireless, super smart, rock solid reliable, and a canny fiscal manager”; Sen. Henry Stern, who said Feldman created “momentum” for Malibu; Assemblymember Richard Bloom, who called Feldman “irreplaceable” and said she served the community “extremely well.”

Praise also came from, among others, L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby; L.A. County Assistant Fire Chief Anthony Williams; Lost Hills Lt. James Braden; Malibu-Las Virgenes Council of Governments Executive Director Terry Dipple; LA County Beaches and Harbors Director of Operational Services Kenneth Foreman; LA County Library Director Skye Patrick; and even SMMUSD Superintendent Ben Drati, who called Feldman a “major support to the district.”

Many of the leaders presented Feldman with commendatory plaques.

Feldman’s colleagues at City Hall said that she created a supportive, familial office culture, and many held back tears.

“I just remember sitting down and saying, ‘What do you need? I’ll give you anything you need to be successful,’” a choked up Public Safety Manager Susan Dueñas said. “I’ve never had a city manager say that to me, I’ve never had a supervisor say to me.”

“It was only Reva who could have enticed me to make the leap to city service...and only my faith in her enabled me to do it,” Assistant City Manager Lisa Soghor said. “The team we have at the city really is a family, and we are sorely missing our heart come May 1st.”

Former City Attorney Christi Hogin read the following limerick to the woman she called the best “work wife” she ever had:

“There once was a city manager named Reva
So young-looking her experience might deceive ya
She led day-to-day to a rating of Triple A
Now alas Malibu, she must leave ya.”

The other speakers who work and/or live in Malibu is far too numerous to list, but they included Craig Foster, Katie Lichtig, Skylar Peak, Pamela Conley Ulich, Lou Lamonte, Laura Rosenthal, Dermot Stoker, Jeremy Wolf, Yoland Bundy, Kasey Earnest, Bonnie Blue, Melissa Andino, Jesse Bobbett, Howard Rudzki, Melissa Coughlin, Mary Linden, Chris Frost, Cameron Farrer, and many more.

Though Feldman replied to each one of the speakers, she saved her own remarks for the very end. She thanked her staff, the Council, and the community where she lives.

“I’m truly touched by the outpouring that I’ve gotten from the community, from my community,” she said. “I’m so honored to have been able to serve my community, and serve in Malibu in a place that I love, in a place that holds all the values that I believe in, that does the work that I have always wanted to do in my professional career...I may be leaving as your city manager, but I will still be there as your friend, your colleague, as anything you need.”

Related coverage:

Feldman, Long-Time Malibu City Manager, Will Resign May 1 | Malibu, CA Patch

Feldman May Resign, Citing 'Constant Attacks' From Silverstein | Malibu, CA Patch