Steven Spedowfski Named New San Ramon City Manager

SAN RAMON, CA — The San Ramon City Council announced Friday the selection of Steven Spedowfski as the next city manager. Spedowfski served as interim city manager since December, and was deputy city manager from 2019 to 2022. He has worked for the San Ramon city government since 2001.

“It is a great honor to be selected as San Ramon’s next City Manager,” he said in a statement. “This is a wonderful community, and I am looking forward to continuing to serve the residents of San Ramon in this new capacity."

Spedowfski succeeds Joe Gorton, the former police chief who announced in September that he would retire in January 2023. Gorton had served as city manager since 2017, following a four-year stint as SRPD chief.

Spedowfski began working for San Ramon as a transportation specialist, where he restructured the city’s Traffic Calming program and Safe Routes to School program. He also served as a liaison to County Connection and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.

From 2004-2009, he worked as an analyst in the city’s Engineering Department, where he managed the finances for the Citywide Landscape and Lighting District and the Geologic Hazard Abatement District. He developed the 40-year GHAD reserve fund study that funded a $5 million landslide repair, and also helped generate an additional $1.5 million in city revenue through audits on county assessments.

In 2009, he was promoted to senior analyst in the Public Works Department, where he oversaw the city’s special district finances, stormwater program, geographic information system, and department communications. During his time there, Spedowfski provided support for San Ramon’s District Election formation process, led negotiations for two regional stormwater permits, and served as the city’s representative to the Contra Costa Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, which he chaired from 2010-2018, and the Contra Costa Clean Water Program, which he chaired in 2008 and 2011.

In 2019, he was hired as deputy city manager, in which he created a COVID-19 business assistance program, which helped local businesses receive $4.8 million in state and federal grants. He also led the renewal effort for the San Ramon Tourism Business Improvement District, secured $2 million in federal funding for the Iron Horse Trail Overcrossing at Crow Canyon Road, developed a COVID-19 communications strategy, and a communication strategy for the elections redistricting program.

Spedowfski also served as a council member for the City of Livermore from 2014-2018, and served as vice mayor in 2017. He also served as a planning commissioner in Livermore from 2011-2014, and chaired the commission in 2013. He helped with the adoption of the Livermore Downtown Plan, served as a founding board member of the Valley Link Regional Rail System, and as a founding board member of the East Bay Community Choice Energy Program.

Spedowfski holds a masters in public administration from California State University Hayward, and a bachelors in criminal justice administration from the same school.

The city hired a consultant to interview other candidates while Spedowfski served as interim mayor.

“The recruiting consultant did an outstanding job and gave us a lot of good candidates; we learned a lot from our interviews. But in the end, we realized what we had is what we wanted; this was the decision we all came to,” Mayor Dave Hudson said in a statement. “Steven has been dedicated to the San Ramon community for more than 20 years, and brings a wealth of knowledge to the role. We are confident in his leadership as our next City Manager.”