Today the San Ramon City Council announced the election of Steven Spedowfski as the next San Ramon City Manager. Spedowfski, who has worked for the city for more than 20 years and served as San Ramon’s interim city manager, was selected after a thorough and transparent vetting process that included a statewide search, community survey and employee survey.
Spedowfski has worked for the City of San Ramon since 2001, initially as a transportation specialist; then as an analyst, then as senior analyst in the Public Works Department, where he oversaw the city’s special county finances, stormwater program, geographic information system, and departmental communications. In 2019, Spedowfski was promoted to deputy city manager, serving as director of economic development, public information officer, and liaison to the Legislature.
Spedowfski succeeds former city manager Joe Gorton (who retired in January 2023) and served as interim city manager of San Ramon during the hiring period.
“The recruitment consultant did an excellent job and placed many good candidates with us; We learned a lot from our interviews. But in the end we realized that what we had was exactly what we wanted; That was the decision we all came to,” said Mayor David E. Hudson, who introduced Spedowfski as a new staffer in 2001. “Steven has been involved with the San Ramon community for more than 20 years and brings a wealth of knowledge to the role. We trust in his leadership as our next city manager.”
“It’s a great honor to be chosen as San Ramon’s next city manager,” said Spedowfski. “This is a wonderful community and I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of San Ramon in this new capacity.”
Spedowfski joined the City of San Ramon in 2001 as a transportation specialist, where he restructured the city’s residential traffic calming program and Safe Routes to School program. He also acted as a liaison with County Connection and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.
From 2004 to 2009, he worked as an Analyst in San Ramon’s Engineering Division, managing finances for the Citywide Landscape and Lighting District and the Geologic Hazard Abatement District (GHAD). In that capacity, he developed the 40-year GHAD Reserve Fund study that recently funded a $5 million landslide repair. He also conducted district assessment reviews, generating an additional $1.5 million in revenue for the city.
In 2009, he was promoted to senior analyst and oversaw the city’s stormwater program, geographic information system (GIS) and the district’s special finances. During his tenure as senior analyst, he led communications efforts and assisted in the education process for the San Ramon county election. He led negotiations for two regional stormwater permits issued by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board. He has also served as city representative for the Contra Costa Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (including serving as Chair 2010–2018) and the Contra Costa Clean Water Program (Chair 2008 and 2011).
In 2019, Spedowfski began serving as San Ramon’s assistant city manager and created a COVID Response Business Assistance Program that helped local businesses secure $4.8 million in state and federal grants. He led renewal efforts for the San Ramon Valley Tourism Business Improvement District, successfully secured a $2 million federal grant for the Iron Horse Trail Overcrossing at Crow Canyon Road, developed the city’s communications strategy for information on COVID-19 and the redistribution process for the district elections. He also acted as a liaison with Discover San Ramon and the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce.
He currently serves on the board of directors for the San Ramon Regional Medical Center.
Spedowfski also served in an elected position as a City Councilor for the City of Livermore from 2014 to 2018 (Vice Mayor 2017), where he played a key role in the passage of the Livermore Downtown Plan, and was a founding board member of the Valley Link Regional Rail System and a founding member of the East Bay Community Choice Energy program. He also served as Livermore Planning Commissioner from 2011 to 2014 (Chairman 2013).
Spedowfski holds a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Hayward, and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration. He also holds a Masters Certificate in Leadership from the ICMA High Performance Leadership Academy.
