San Rafael’s employment and finance departments have new directors, city officials announced this week.
Marissa Sanchez will take over the personnel department after working as the interim director since February.
Paul Navazio, a new addition to the city, will oversee the city’s finances. Navazio starts Monday.
Navazio and Sanchez will each receive an annual salary of $199,500.
The new hires are replacing Nadine Atieh Hade, the city’s administrative services director, who left employment in February. Hade managed both departments and was paid $202,896 a year.
The position was eliminated to create two department heads. City officials said the split would allow a wider pool of candidates for each position.
“While we have both a finance department and a human resources department, we will continue working together to maintain the administrative services team,” Sanchez said.
City officials also plan to hire an assistant city manager, a position that was made vacant when Cristine Alilovich was elevated to city manager this year.
Sanchez said she’s excited to slide into the permanent role of director of human resources.
“I am deeply committed to fostering a supportive and engaging work environment, and I look forward to partnering with the San Rafael team to continue driving innovation and excellence,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez has more than 20 years of experience in personnel management. She most recently worked as the director of personnel for Fresno, which has more than 4,000 employees. By comparison, San Rafael has approximately 425 full-time employees.
Sanchez obtained a a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in human resources management and organizational development from National University in San Diego.
“I am confident that Marissa’s exceptional leadership, extensive experience, and dedication to employee engagement will further strengthen the organization and contribute to the overall success of the city,” Alilovich said.
Navazio comes to San Rafael from his post as finance director at the Incline Village General Improvement District in the Lake Tahoe area.
Navazio, who has 30 years of finance and public management experience, is the former city manager of Woodland and assistant city manager and finance director of Davis. Navazio is also a former budget manager for Berkeley and Oakland.
Navazio said he looks forward to his return to the Bay Area.
“I hope to contribute even a small part to building upon San Rafael’s reputation as an exceptionally well-managed city,” Navazio said.
Navazio will be responsible for overseeing budget development, revenue management, financial reporting and compliance.
Navazio holds a master’s degree in administration, specializing in finance and public policy, from the University of California, Davis, and a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Rochester.
Alilovich said he is the ideal candidate.
“His background and expertise will be invaluable as we navigate the city’s financial landscape and work towards achieving our long-term goals,” Alilovich said. “We are excited to welcome Paul to our team and look forward to the positive impact he will make at the city of San Rafael.”