SAN JOSE – The San Jose City Council has appointed Ed Shikada as San Jose’s city manager.
Previously assistant city manager, he assumed his new position on Dec. 21.
“Ed has been an essential part of our senior management team for years and has demonstrated his abilities during the most challenging times in the City of San Jose’s history,” said Mayor Chuck Reed. “We are fortunate that Ed is willing to step up and lead our city as we recover from very difficult fiscal circumstances and begin to restore services to our residents and pay to our employees.”
Shikada joined the city in 2003 as a deputy city manager overseeing the city’s construction program and special projects, and has served as assistant city manager since June 2010. Prior to his tenure with San Jose, he served as the City of Long Beach public works director, led the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s congestion management, and was a transportation consultant for numerous different public and private sector clients. He currently lives in the Willow Glen area of San Jose.
“The past decade with San Jose has been quite the journey of growth and contraction,” said Shikada. “With our community’s unwavering spirit of innovation and the opportunity for an improving economy, we must continuously work on providing progressive solutions for serving our public.
“I am both grateful and humbled for this opportunity to lead San Jose’s dedicated and resilient employees. I’m confident that while we still have challenges ahead, we will focus on providing the highest quality services that we and our community partners can deliver.”
Under the City Charter, the city manager serves as San Jose’s chief administrative officer and reports directly to the City Council. The city manager is responsible for administration of city affairs, day-to-day operations, and implementation of council policies, and is also responsible for overseeing San Jose’s $2.9 billion annual budget, as well as directing and supervising the city’s 5,600 employee (full-time equivalent) workforce.
“I’m extremely pleased that the mayor and City Council have selected Ed Shikada as the next city manager of San Jose,” outgoing City Manager Debra Figone said last month. “This is a win for both our community and for our workforce. As our assistant city manager, Ed knows San Jose’s challenges first-hand and also knows how our city is embracing change to ensure a safe, sustainable and vibrant community. He is a courageous leader and an effective manager with an entrepreneurial spirit, and I’m confident that Ed and our entire team will continue to accomplish great things for our city.”