The City of Emeryville has announced the hiring of Paul Buddenhagen as the city’s new City Manager. Buddenhagen replaces Christine Daniel who announced her retirement in July. Former City of Sausalito City Manager Adam Politzer had been filling as the city’s Interim City Manager.
Like Daniel, Buddenhagen brings local experience from neighboring Berkeley where he served as the city’s deputy City Manager.
Buddenhagen also brings the experience of living nearby as a North Oakland resident for twenty-one years and noting Emeryville has had “a profoundly positive impact on me and my family.”
“I’m excited to join Emeryville as the next City Manager,” Buddenhagen provided. “The city has a visionary, dynamic council, with smart, hardworking staff, and engaged residents and businesses.”
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Buddenhagen has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Macalester College in Minnesota and a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare with a focus on management and planning from UC Berkeley.
He brings more than 24 years of professional management experience to his new role, including four years as the aforementioned Deputy City Manager of the City of Berkeley, two previous years as Director of Health, Housing and Community Services for the City of Berkeley, and eighteen years with the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department.
The neighboring cities of Berkely, Oakland and Emeryville seem to have a revolving door of city managers including Sabrina Landreth, Daniel and John Flores.
Buddenhagen will be officially be sworn in and take his oath of office at the January 17, 2023 council meeting.
The position has a base pay upwards of $220,000 with total compensation (benefits and pension) closer to $285,000.