Glendale appoints first woman to hold city’s top management job
Yasmin Beers is Glendale’s permanent city manager, as City Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to promote the longtime city employee to the top management position. She is the first woman to hold the position, according to city officials.
In November, Beers, then Glendale’s assistant city manager, was appointed interim city manager after Scott Ochoa announced his resignation the previous month to accept the top spot at the city of Ontario.
In her remarks to City Council, Beers held back tears as she thanked her parents, who emigrated from Iran when she was 8 years old, for “always being by her side,” she said.
“As long as we, as city employees, continue to see public service as a sacred calling, as long as we continue being accountable to the organization and the community, being fair and objective in all matters that we are involved with … we will continue to provide quality services to the community,” Beers said.
According to a statement read by Mayor Vartan Gharpetian, Beers began as a part-time employee for the city’s library department in 1987 while a student at Hoover High School and later while attending Cal State University Northridge.
For the next three decades, she held a number of positions, most notable among them her appointment as deputy city manager in 2000, followed by being named assistant city manager in 2010.
In 2011, Beers acted as interim city manager after Jim Starbird retired and held the post until the appointment of Ochoa in 2012.
“As mayor, I could not be more proud to say we have identified the most qualified individual to lead our organization,” Gharpetian said.
Other City Council members also praised Beers.
“I’m so happy for you, but I’m more happy for the city of Glendale,” said Councilman Ara Najarian. “We have a great city manager in you.”
Twitter: @JeffLanda
