Rick Cole

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Rick Cole (born 1953) is the executive director of the Congress for the New Urbanism[1] and an advisor to the mayor of Pasadena, California.[2] He has been the city manager of Azusa, California, then Ventura, California (2004–2012),[3] and Santa Monica, California (2015–2020).[4]

Cole is a graduate of Occidental College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.[citation needed]

He served 12 years in elective office in his hometown of Pasadena, California,[5] including as deputy mayor from 1990 to 1992 and as mayor of Pasadena from 1992 to 1994.[citation needed] He co-founded the newspaper Pasadena Weekly.[6] At one point, he was marketing director of West Hollywood.[7]

Cole was named city manager of Ventura on a 5-2 vote in 2004.[3] While serving in that position, he was in the running for – but failed to become – the city manager position in Austin, Texas.[7] His forced resignation from the position in 2012 was accepted by a 4-3 vote.[3]

He became the parish administrator at the San Buenaventura Mission in 2012.[8] In July, 2013, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Cole to the position of deputy mayor for Budget and Innovation.[9] On May 27, 2015, Cole was named the city manager of Santa Monica, by unanimous vote of the city council.[10][4] Cole served as the city manager from 2015 until his resignation on April 17, 2020.[11] He left office after an online petition for his resignation attained more than 2,800 signatures[12] on change.org, an online petitioning service. His resignation was announced on the City of Santa Monica's official blog[13] eighteen days before the local city council was scheduled to vote on large budget cuts to compensate for financial shortfalls. The shortfalls, attributed primarily to the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic during which the city closed all bars and restaurants, had already amounted to $72 millions and were projected to include an additional $154 million in the year to come.[12] The petition's authors cited alleged "superfluous spending [and] poor judgment", including "expanded powers and authority under the local emergency proclamation" which allowed the city manager to "layoff a large percentage of City Staff without giving them proper notice". The petition also called for the resignation of Assistant City Manager Katie Lichtig.[14]

In 2021, he was named the executive director of the Congress for the New Urbanism, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.[1] He also took on the role of special housing advisor to Victor Gordo, the mayor of Pasadena, California.[2]

Recognition

In 2006, he was selected as one of Governing Magazine's nine "Public Officials of the Year", noting his “urban revival skills”.[6]

On his resignation, the Ventura County Star editorialized that Cole had "led a downtown revitalization, guided Ventura through daunting budget challenges and oversaw important but unsexy work such as improving public works, water and sewer operations."[15]

References

  1. ^ a b O'Neal, Margaret (May 4, 2021). "CNU welcomes Rick Cole as new executive director". Congress for the New Urbanism. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Rodriguez, Matthew (May 13, 2021). "Rick Cole returns home to Pasadena". Pasadena Weekly. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Martinez, Arlene (September 28, 2012). "Ventura city manager's exit linked to style". Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Dupré, Brandon (May 28, 2015). "Meet Rick Cole, Santa Monica's New City Manager". Santa Monica Mirror.
  5. ^ Casuso, Jorge (April 7, 2021). "Former City Manager Rick Cole Named Special Housing Advisor for Pasadena". Santa Monica Lookout. Retrieved 2021-08-11.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b "Rick Cole Represents". VC Reporter. November 9, 2006. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Dunbar, Wells (January 14, 2008). "Whither Rick Cole?". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  8. ^ McGrath, Rachel (September 13, 2012). "Rick Cole is taking new job at San Buenanventura Mission". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015.
  9. ^ Saillant, Catherine (July 14, 2013). "Rick Cole brings municipal experience to Garcetti administration". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  10. ^ Zahniser, David (May 28, 2015). "Aide to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti hired for top post in Santa Monica". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ^ "A Final Message from Rick". www.santamonica.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  12. ^ a b "Santa Monica city manager resigns, cites divisions over coronavirus budget cuts". KTLA. 2020-04-19. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  13. ^ "A Final Message from Rick".
  14. ^ "BREAKING: City Manager Rick Cole to Step Down". SM Mirror. 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  15. ^ Editorial (September 1, 2012). "Editorial: Rick Cole's departure". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Jess Hughston
 Mayor of Pasadena
1992-1994 		Succeeded by
Katie Nack
Preceded by
Stephen Acker
 Member of the Pasadena City Council for the 2nd District
1983-1995 		Succeeded by
Paul Little
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