Former Santa Clara City Manager Deanna Santana — a controversial figure who was once the second-highest paid city manager in the state before she was fired — will serve as interim city manager for Milpitas beginning this week.
The Milpitas City Council confirmed her position Tuesday night. Over the next months, the council will begin recruiting for a permanent city manager, a void left by Ned Thomas, who resigned from the position after 18 months to work in Boulder City, Nevada.
“I’m honored to join the City of Milpitas as interim city manager during this important time,” Santana said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with the City Council, city team, community and stakeholders to support the City Council’s goals and objectives, provide stability for the organization and ensure Milpitas is well-positioned financially for the future with transparency and care.”
Her base salary will be $379,000, about $100,000 more than Ned Thomas’s when he was in the position, according to city documents.
In a statement, Milpitas Mayor Carmen Montano said Santana’s, “proven track record and wealth of experience” in city management makes her an ideal interim candidate.
“She brings not only an impressive depth of municipal experience but also ethical leadership and strong fiscal management,” Montano said. “Deanna is known for bringing a solutions-oriented approach to delivering high-quality services. She is also known for bringing transparency and collaboration to the workplace, demonstrating a strong commitment to public service, and working with communities on important issues impacting quality of life.”
Santana made regional and state headlines while working for Santa Clara, most notably for her $765,152 compensation package, which made her the second highest paid city manager in the state at the time. She was hired in 2017 but was fired in 2022 by the City Council, with a majority of councilmembers citing a “lack of confidence” in her ability to do her job.
Santana rifted with the council during her tenure because of her high salary, and also for clashing with the 49ers, accusing them of mismanaging Levi’s Stadium and shortchanging the city $5 million in rent for using the stadium.
As part of her Santa Clara contract, Santana opted to receive her severance package over the span of a year instead of in one lump sum. However, in 2023 Santana filed a claim against the city, accusing officials of not paying out her entire six-figure package and some of her owed benefits. Last month, she threatened to sue Santa Clara again, this time to collect two weeks of benefits, as first reported by the Silicon Valley Voice.
Before Santa Clara, Santana worked as city manager for Sunnyvale and deputy city manager for San Jose. She also had a three-year stint as the city administrator for Oakland, where she allegedly butted heads on policy issues with the mayor and had strained relations with some staffers.
Most recently, Santana served as Acting Chief Executive Officer for MissionSquare Retirement, a financial services corporation focused on public sector retirement services. In her role, Santana oversaw approximately $84 billion of assets under management and administration, 1.9 million participant accounts nationwide and 9,300 employer plans across the country, according to a press release.
She also lead led MissionSquare Research Institute, a non-profit organization that produces research on public sector workforce trends, and MissionSquare Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on youth civic engagement.
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