Christina Friend, assistant city manager for the city of Santa Cruz, has been tapped to fill the role of Scotts Valley city manager in June pending Scotts Valley City Council approval. Friend, also known as Tina Shull in her position in Santa Cruz, is a resident of Aptos and is married to County Supervisor Zach Friend.
Friend has worked for the city of Santa Cruz since 2005 in positions of increasing responsibility. She graduated from the University of Idaho with a B.S. in geology, magna cum laude; Georgetown University with a master’s degree in public policy; and Santa Clara University School of Law with a juris doctor degree in public law.
Jenny Haruyama, outgoing city manager, returns to Tracy to fill the role of city manager in that city having previously served as administrative services director prior to her move to Scotts Valley in 2016. Haruyama’s tenure as Scotts Valley’s city manager has been lauded by her colleagues particularly in areas of fiscal planning and economic development.
Regarding Haruyama’s successor, Mayor Jack Dilles in an interview with the Press Banner in March said, “I want somebody who is communicative, particularly with the community. I want to see somebody who is strategic, that looks down the line and cares about where we’re headed. I want somebody with financial smarts and is collaborative — somebody who is strong and has strong leadership qualities who will speak her mind and work closely with the council to move us in the right direction while checking in with the community.”
Friend’s salary in Scotts Valley will be $198,924, which is just $4 less than Haruyama’s July 2016 starting salary. Haruyama brought 22 years of experience to the role at that time.
