She Has Big Plans for Community

The new general manager of this unincorporated community says her position in working with the directors of the Community Services District will be like a dance.

Their job will be to lead policy, and hers to carry out the steps. If they can keep the rhythm and are good partners, it will benefit the community’s approximately 3,600 residents.

“We want to make sure we’re all hearing the same music,” said Susan Williams, whose new job is similar to that of a city manager. For a little over a week, former interim General Manager Ray Griest has been easing the way by showing her around.

The first item on her agenda as general manager, she says, is getting the board together at an informal round-table meeting to talk about ongoing and future projects. She says she will do a lot of listening and take a lot of notes.

“Then I’ll come back with it all in writing and set up specific goals and objectives within the budget,” she said. “If we can dance the dance, that’s the goal.”

Williams comes to Rossmoor with 20 years of experience. She served as assistant to the city manager in Buena Park for almost 14 years and was district manager for the Jurupa Area Recreation and Park District (comprising 11 unincorporated communities) in Riverside County.

The self-described nature buff who has hiked the Grand Canyon has also worked for the cities of Dana Point, Monrovia and Pomona.

Shirley Bailey, one of the community’s directors, said the other applicants for the job had amazing backgrounds and impressive credentials, but Williams stood out among them.

“You need somebody that’s going to be pretty hands-on,” Bailey said. “She’s already been a director for a services district and has done a lot with recreation. She has also done a lot of grant writing, and that’s an art. I’m real excited about seeing what she can accomplish.”

Director Linda Goodrich also felt Williams was a standout.

“I see Sue coming to us wanting to put her expertise to work for the people of Rossmoor. I hope hers will be a long tenure.”

As for Williams, she will make the commute from Newport Beach for about six months, but is anxious to meet with real estate agents in hopes of finding a home in Rossmoor. Even though she is not required to move, she calls herself a child of the ‘50s and ‘60s and is attracted to the small town.

“Rossmoor has that feeling of what California has been, what it was built to be,” she said.

“And never have I seen a community with this many volunteers,” she added.

Ana Cholo-Tipton can be reached at (714) 966-5890.