Novato Hires New Public Works Director

The City of Novato is pleased to announce the hiring of a permanent Public Works Director, Russell Thompson, who begins the job Monday.

Thompson was most recently the Public Works Director for the City of Atascadero and brings 28 years of public and private experience to the City of Novato, including owning and operating a civil engineering firm, engineering design of the Cal Poly Baggett Stadium and the Colony at Apple Valley subdivision, and managing the $32 million reconstruction of the historic Atascadero City Hall—recently named ‘Project of the Year’ by the Central Coast Chapter of the American Public Works Association.

“Russell has a strong background in civil engineering and managing high-profile public and private projects,” said City Manager Michael Frank. “His expertise rose to the top in this extremely competitive recruitment process. He will be a true asset to our community and our team, especially with our upcoming major capital projects, such as the widening of Novato Boulevard.”

Thompson will be managing a department of 54 employees--which includes engineering, maintenance, and custodial staff—and overseeing a $14 million Capital Improvement Program and $6 million operations budget. He succeeds Andrew Poster, who served as interim Public Works Director since August 2013, when former Public Works Director Jason Nutt left the position. Thompson will directly report to the City Managers at an annual salary of $151,272.

“My passion is giving back to the community through collaboration and responsiveness,” said Thompson. “I am really looking forward to working closely with my staff to best serve the needs of Novato.”