Jim McCann Steps Into the Arena

Hey Reilly Johnson: the new Mill Valley city manager is coming for you.

Jim McCann, who begins his stint at the helm of City Hall this week after 12 years with the City of Calistoga, will have plenty on his plate in the coming months. But when the 2011 Dipsea Race rolls around in 11 months, 8-year-old defending champ Johnson might have to contend with McCann, the 50-year-old Tamalpais High School grad and competitive runner.

"That could be fun to do," McCann said.

McCann will certainly have more pressing matters on his mind for the foreseeable future. First will be mastering the commute from his home outside Napa, where he lives with his wife and two children. His daughter is a senior at Napa High School, so a move south will have to wait.

McCann will spend the first several weeks acclimating himself to town and the priorities of the City Council and the broader community.

"With any change like this, it's about learning what the issues and the sensitivities are and how to work in that environment," he said. "I have always found that I've been able to work with people, even with folks I don't agree with much at all. I'll get a clear understanding of the council's priorities, and we'll move forward."

A military brat, McCann moved around quite a bit as a kid, living at Fort Baker briefly and attending Tam High for two years and graduating from there in 1978. He got a bachelor's degree in natural resources management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

McCann got his start at a planning firm in Palm Springs, Calif., and then became a planning director in Rancho Mirage. He followed stints in Napa and Petaluma by becoming the planning director in Calistoga in 1998, and was picked by the City Council there to be the city manager a year later.

Calistoga Mayor Jack Gingles said McCann had a good run there and will fit in well in Mill Valley.

"He's naturally a people person and he was very involved with the community here," Gingles said. "I was sorry to see him go. We'll miss him. Mill Valley's got a heck of an asset on its hands."

Over the years, McCann has spent plenty of time in Marin, having lived in both Novato and Sausalito. His wife, Gretchen Stranzl McCann, grew up in Mill Valley. But while family ties and the area's beauty were draws, what really attracted him was the city's reputation among local governments in California.

"Mill Valley has a tremendous reputation as a well managed community," he said. "In city manager circles, Mill Valley is one of the towns that is recognized as being very attractive. There are plenty of communities out there with legendary stories, but Mill Valley has a very positive history from a governmental standpoint. It's a remarkable community."

McCann, who will earn a $188,292 annual salary, replaces former city manager Anne Montgomery, who retired last year after 22 years with the city. Public Works Director Wayne Bush filled the post temporarily, earning widespread praise from the council, and will return full-time to his public works position.