CITY BUSINESS: Standing-Room Only Crowd Officially Greets New City Manager Bob Russi

August 18, 2010

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Despite a tough economy and tight budgets, Russi takes the pitcher-is-more-than-half-full approach to running a local municipality.

On Monday, Aug. 16, the city of La Verne and the community officially welcomed Bob Russi as its new city manager.

In July, the La Verne City Council by a 5-0 vote, named Russi, 44, to succeed Martin Lomeli as city manager in early August. Mr. Russi, who has been the assistant to the city manager and then assistant city manager in La Verne since March 2001, came to the city from Walnut where he came up through that city’s Parks and Recreation Department before moving into the city manager’s department for the majority of his tenure there. Mr. Russi lives in Upland with his wife Tina and his daughters, Jessica, 16, and Amanda, 12. He is a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona.

In the standing room-only council chambers to celebrate the occasion were Russi’s family and many local officials, including former La Verne mayor Jon Blickenstaff, Damien Principal Father Patrick Travers, University of La Verne President Stephen Morgan and La Verne Chamber CEO Brian McNerney.

Russi kept his prepared remarks brief.

Russi kept his remarks brief and then quickly moved to the main business at hand, honoring the La Verne Girls Softball Association 12U for its incredible summer of winning tournaments that concluded with an invitation to the national playoffs in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

For those interested, La Verne Online published an in-depth interview with Russi in July. To access that interview, pleased click on the link http://www.laverneonline.com/2010/07/18/incoming-city-manager-bob-russi-chats-with-la-verne-online/

Also, visit the home page of the city website, http://www.ci.la-verne.ca.us/, for a link to view the compensation of the city manager, mayor and council members, along with the pay and salary ranges of other city staff.