Artesia Manager Quits to Move to More Rural Area

Lois B. O’Sullivan, the city manager for eight months, has unexpectedly resigned and says she wants to leave Southern California and move to a more rural environment.

“I want to do some camping and some canoeing,” said O’Sullivan, who has worked in various capacities for the city for more than four years.

O’Sullivan’s resignation will become effective Nov. 1. Jerry Shuster, the city’s financial consultant, was named as interim city manager.

The outgoing city manager said she would start searching for a job in areas north of San Francisco to the Canadian border.

O’Sullivan, 43, the first woman in the area to hold the position, was hired as city manager of this city of 15,000 in February. Earlier, she served as interim city manager for about six months before being named to her permanent position to replace E. Eugene Romig, who had resigned.

O’Sullivan is one of only 18 women statewide who are employed as city managers. Three of them are in Los Angeles County.

Council members said they were disappointed but not surprised that O’Sullivan was leaving. Some members said O’Sullivan had informed them a couple of months ago that she was thinking about leaving.

“She said she wanted to get out of the urban Los Angeles area and it was time to make the move rather than waiting until later,” Councilman Jim Van Horn said.

The council members said they were pleased with O’Sullivan’s job performance.

“She did a splendid job. The city is in good shape,” Councilman Robert Jamison said.

O’Sullivan, 43, submitted her resignation Monday during a regular meeting of the City Council.

Shuster was hired several months ago to help the city complete its $3.2-million budget for the 1989-90 fiscal year.

At the time O’Sullivan was named interim city manager, the council chose not to search outside the city for a new city manager, preferring to give O’Sullivan a “first shot,” Councilman Ronald Oliver.

O’Sullivan was hired in 1985 as a private consultant to work in securing federal Community Development Block Grant funds for the city.

O’Sullivan, who has a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and a master’s degree in public policy and administration, both from Cal State Northridge, received a monthly salary of $4,000. Shuster will be paid on an hourly basis.