Costa Mesa’s assistant city manager comes from San Clemente to fill long vacancy

Costa Mesa officials welcomed a new face to City Hall Tuesday as Cecilia Gallardo-Daly started her first day on the job as assistant city manager, occupying a seat that’s been vacant for more than a year.

Gallardo-Daly — who previously served in the same role in San Clemente — was appointed to the position following a nationwide search after her predecessor, Susan Price, announced her retirement in August 2022.

Costa Mesa City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison said in a news release issued Tuesday Gallardo-Daly’s extensive record of accomplishments, including nearly a decade of experience working in executive management, made her a standout candidate.

“She is results driven and puts a premium on customer service,” the city manager said. “Her 27 years of experience in successfully managing complex and controversial issues and projects will make her a valuable asset to the city and the entire Costa Mesa community.”

Tuesday found the 56-year-old San Diego resident accompanying Farrell Harrison to various meetings, where she was introduced to other members of the city’s executive team, and preparing for a council study session on the city’s housing element later that evening.

Gallardo-Daly is no stranger to planning and community development issues. A graduate of UCLA, where she earned an undergraduate degree in political science and a master’s in urban planning, she has worked for a number of municipalities, from Sierra Madre to San Diego.

“I really love working with communities,” she said in an interview Tuesday. “I love that neighborhood focus, where you can work with business owners, property owners and residents to understand what they’re looking for to make their community better or keep it the way it is, then take their input, what they value and implement it at the local level.”

After working 12 years for the city of San Diego, where she handled matters related to community planning, coastal resilience, historical preservation and economic development, Gallardo-Daly spent some time as a consultant before accepting a position as San Clemente’s community development director.

There, her experience in land-use planning, project facilitation and general plan implementation continued to grow, which led to her appointment as assistant city manager. She served in that position from Oct. 2 until Nov. 30.

Gallardo-Daly said while she was familiar with Costa Mesa, it wasn’t really on her radar until earlier this year, when she was asked to participate on a review panel tasked with rating candidates for a Costa Mesa position and met Farrell Harrison in person.

“I was so impressed with her leadership and impressed with her vision and relationship with the City Council and all the things she was doing here in the city,” she recalled. “I thought Costa Mesa is a really exciting place and lots of things are happening there.”

The new assistant city manager said she initially hopes to focus on community and economic development as Costa Mesa implements the housing element portion of the city’s general plan. She and her husband, in the meantime, will be looking to move closer to Orange County on a permanent basis.

Gallardo-Daly’s annual salary will be $255,132, according to city officials.