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Add another one to the list, the growing list of high-level officials leaving City Hall increased by one earlier this week when the city’s Economic Development Manager Eric Duyshart announced he was leaving.
Duyshart has been with the city for more than 31 years. He was hired in 1990.
The Economic Development Manager pursues investment in Pasadena. He also serves as a liaison between the business community and City Hall.
He also helped lead the city through the city’s COVID-19 pandemic financial recovery.
Duyshart represents the city on several important boards including the Pasadena Center Operating Company, Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership.
He is a longtime member of Pasadena Rotary.
Duyshart joins a growing list of city officials that have given notice that they are leaving the city, including City Manager Steve Mermell.
Along with Mermell, the city will lose Police Chief John Perez, Assistant City Manager Julie Guitierrez, Water and Power General Manager Gurcharan S. Bawa, and Human Resources Director Jennifer Curtis within the next two months.
On Monday, the council voted to agendize the process to choose the next City Manager in closed session on Nov. 22.
Councilmember John Kennedy said the departures will decimate the city’s executive team.
The city must begin the recruitment process before Dec. 3.
“We cannot tarry in bringing an excellent permanent city manager aboard to rebuild his or her own team to run this city. It is not fair or equitable to expect our interim city manager to run the city with a skeleton crew into the indefinite future, and yet it is not appropriate for an Interim to make permanent appointments,” he said.
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