City Manager David White has named Susan Cline as Assistant City Manager of Santa Monica and Rick Valte as Director of Public Works

December 20, 2021 9:01 AM

SANTA MONICA, California – City Manager David White announced today that he has appointed Susan Cline as Assistant City Manager of Santa Monica. Cline, the director of public works, has been the interim assistant city manager since January 2021. For the past 12 months, she has worked closely with department heads on operational functions, including providing secure personal on-site services during the pandemic.

“I am deeply grateful to Susan for her commitment to our city during what is perhaps the most difficult time in our church. It is a testament to their love for civil service and Santa Monica, ”said City Manager David White. “The continuity of her leadership and her experience of how our organization works, combined with her caring and prudent leadership style, will help Santa Monica continue our commitment to providing the highest level of service.”

Prior to her interim role, Cline had been the city’s public works director since 2016. She led a division of 438 people that worked in ten departments and managed a budget of $ 138 million. She joined the city in 2010 as the Assistant Director of Public Works after serving six years as AECOM’s Senior Development Team Manager for the LA Unified School District, where she led all pre-construction activities for new school construction projects.

“Santa Monica is a big part of my heart. It is my work, my home and where I am fortunate enough to raise my youngest child, ”said Assistant City Manager Susan Cline. “I am honored and excited that David has chosen me for this new role and I will forever be grateful to the exceptional Public Works team for helping me do my job better thanks to their tremendous support and standards . I look forward to supporting the CMO team and working closely with my colleagues across town, the city council, and our community to create a bright, inclusive Santa Monica for all. ”

Cline holds a Masters of Planning from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California at Irvine. Her role as Assistant City Manager began on December 19, 2021 with a salary of $ 294,360.

With Cline’s final move, City Manager White appointed Rick Valte as its new Public Works Director. Valte has been Interim Director of the department since Cline was Interim Assistant City Manager in January.

“Rick was a natural appointment for our public works director. Our public works team continued to provide the highest level of service under his leadership over the past year, ”said City Manager David White. “Rick’s extensive experience comes from years of experience in Santa Monica, which gives him incredible strength leading one of our largest departments.”

Valte joined the city in 2000 and has held a variety of roles over the past 21 years including civil engineer for construction management, senior civil engineer for land and project development, and Watershed program manager. Before Valte became interim director for public works, he was a city engineer and has been deputy director for public works since 2019.

During his tenure in public works, he led capital improvement projects, administered the city’s watershed management program and rainwater funds, and oversaw key programs in the architectural services, engineering and road services, resource recovery and recycling, and water resources departments.

“I am deeply humbled by the loyalty and dedication with which the men and women in this department have continued to serve our colleagues and our community over two extremely challenging years,” said Rick Valte. “With these men and women, I look forward to looking forward to the years to come as we work together to restore a clean and safe Santa Monica for all.”

Valte is a California Registered Professional Engineer and LEED Accredited Professional. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of the Philippines and a job title in Construction Management from UCLA. He is the current president of the City and County Engineers Association of Los Angeles and will take over the helm of Public Works on December 19, 2021 on a salary of $ 253,716.

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