VENTURA : City Engineer to Head Public Works
Ventura City Engineer Ron Calkins has been named the city’s public works director, replacing Shelley Jones, who retired in February after 18 years in the post, City Manager John Baker announced Friday.
Calkins, 43, has been the city’s top engineer since 1986. He previously was assistant public works director in Santa Barbara and worked as solid waste manager for the Ventura Regional Sanitation District.
Calkins will head a reorganized department of 190 employees. As part of a restructuring of city departments, public works will be responsible for parks in addition to the traditional duties of street maintenance, and water and sanitation operations.
Calkins, who starts his new job April 26, has engineering degrees from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in public administration from Pepperdine University. He was chosen from among several in-house candidates, Baker said.
“He has a blend of talents and sensitivity to the needs that we have to maintain a first-rate parks division,” Baker said.
Calkins’ new salary has not been negotiated, Baker said. City officials will seek a replacement to succeed Calkins as city engineer.
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