Mike Futrell, the highly accomplished longtime administrator of South San Francisco, is headed to Southern California to serve as city manager of Riverside.
Futrell has managed South San Francisco for nine years, during which time he helped the city achieve its first AAA credit rating and saw the city become the Biotechnology Capital of the World. Previously, he served as Chief Administrative Officer for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There, he oversaw 4,600 employees and a budget of $3 billion.
Futrell is a retired U.S. Navy Captain with 26 years of active duty and reserve experience. For over a decade, he practiced corporate law. He has also served as a senior staff member in the United States Senate and as Executive Vice President of a utility company in Hawaii.
Futrell holds a Bachelor's degree in Business/Public Administration and a Juris Doctorate degree from Louisiana State University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He is a Ph.D. scholar in Management of Complex Systems in the Department of Engineering at University of California, Merced. He graduated from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Learn-Engage-Accelerate-Disrupt (LEAD) Corporate Innovation program and the Pepperdine School of Public Policy’s Leading Smart Communities program. He is accredited by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) as a Certified City Manager and serves on the ICMA national Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee.
“Mike Futrell is a dynamic leader with a tested and proven track record of public service,” said Riverside Mayor Pro Tem Ronaldo Fierro, who led the city manager recruitment effort for the city. “He distinguished himself among a field of outstanding candidates and is truly the right person at the right time to lead Riverside into the next era of innovation and growth.”
“I am humbled and honored to serve as the next City Manager for the great city of Riverside and am excited to lead its diverse and dynamic city workforce,” Futrell said. “I am eager to become a part of the community and to work in partnership with the Mayor and City Council to move forward the vision for Riverside’s future.”
“Riverside is a diverse and dynamic city poised for continued growth,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. “Mike Futrell’s leadership and experience will be key to helping our city excel, and I look forward to working with him to make great things happen in Riverside.”
Futrell will take the reins from Interim City Manager Michael Moore, who is returning to his previous role as fire chief. Riverside’s last permanent city manager Al Zelinka left earlier this year for the same position in Huntington Beach.
Image Credit: City of South San Francisco