VENTURA : New City Manager Hired, Starts Jan. 17

Ventura officially hired a new city manager Monday--a 46-year-old, Santa Paula native who now runs a northern Californian county.

Donna Landeros will start her job in Ventura on Jan. 17, four days after leaving her post in Yolo County. Landeros will make $105,000 in her first year on the job. She now receives $86,000 as chief administrator in Yolo, a county of 150,000 people that is adjacent to Sacramento.

The council unanimously approved Landeros’ contract, then agreed to have Ventura Police Chief Richard Thomas serve as interim city manager until Landeros comes on board.

The position became vacant in July, when then-manager John Baker left after 12 years to start his own consulting firm. He was replaced temporarily by the retired top administrator of Santa Barbara, also named Richard Thomas, whose contract expired Dec. 1.