West Covina Gets ‘Gem’ in New City Manager

Monrovia officials say they have mixed feelings about bidding farewell to their city manager, Jim Starbird, who in May will take over the same post in West Covina.

“West Covina is getting a gem,” Monrovia Mayor Bob Bartlett said. “They’ve got the best city manager in California. I have mixed feelings. I’m sad for Monrovia, but happy for Jim. He wanted a bigger challenge.”

The West Covina City Council on Monday selected Starbird to fill the position vacated by Bob Fast, who retired in October after 14 years as city manager. During the search, West Covina City Engineer Harry Thomas has been serving as interim city manager.

Starbird, 41, said he is looking forward to working for a larger city and staff. West Covina has 432 full-time employees and a population of 96,086; Monrovia has 220 full-time employees and a population of 37,000.

“West Covina is a very prominent city in the San Gabriel Valley, considerably larger than Monrovia. It will be a good professional opportunity. My family’s looking forward to moving there,” said Starbird, who lives in Monrovia with his wife and two sons.

Starbird was picked for the $116,400 position from 60 candidates from all over the southwestern United States. The council chose Starbird in closed session after Shannon Associates, an independent recruitment firm, recommended him. West Covina council members Nancy Manners and Steve Herfert worked closely with the agency.

“We wanted a strong tactician who knows the nuts and bolts of economic development,” Herfert said. “We wanted someone with proven ability on the front line of financing. Our future will depend heavily on his economic skills.”

Monrovia Councilwoman Lara Blakely said Starbird’s leaving was inevitable.

“I knew he would be leaving, the time was coming. Jim is going through different phases of his own development. . . . Things are changing in the city. Maybe it’s appropriate for a new management style. I’m going to miss him. He’s a good guy.”

Jeanne Kennedy, Monrovia’s assistant city manager, has been selected as interim city manager until a new manager is appointed, probably sometime in September.

Starbird, who will become West Covina’s fourth city manager on May 6, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Humboldt State College in 1971. He later served as assistant to the city manager in Eureka for three years. In 1977, after earning a management certificate from USC, he became Monrovia’s assistant city manager and went on to become the city manager after earning a master’s degree in public administration from USC in 1983.

While Starbird was city manager, Monrovia won the League of California Cities’ 1990 Helen Putnam Award for community services. During his tenure as executive director of the Monrovia Redevelopment Agency, the city has completed or started construction projects totaling $90 million.