City Public Affairs Dept. Announces Key Changes

Long-time Pasadena Assistant Public Information Officer Linda Centell will be retiring on Sept. 21, the dept. announced today.

The city also said that Tim McGillivray has been hired as Centell’s successor and that Lisa Derderian, City Emergency Management Coordinator and Fire Department Public Information Officer, will assist as acting city Public Information Officer until the return of the city’s official Public Information Officer Ann Erdman, who is recovering from an illness and is expected back in the near future.

Centell has served as the City’s Assistant Public Information Officer for 18 years. She will be moving to London with her husband where he will be developing a Harry Potter tour for Warner Bros. Studios.

Centell has been instrumental in so many capacities in her role. Her numerous credits include: being awarded an Emmy for a public service announcement encouraging youth involvement to prevent violence; receiving several National Public Information Association accolades; producing and writing the Mayor’s State of the City address; organizing the city’s First ArtNight; managing the Public Affairs volunteers; serving on the Green Team for the city; and acting as the city Public Information Officer on
numerous occasions.

Tim McGillivray has been hired as the city’s new Assistant Public Information Officer. McGillivray has a very broad communications background. He started as a television and radio reporter and news director in Washington, Wyoming and Idaho. For 13 years he served as senior PIO for the Washington State Senate, working for the Lt. Governor and Senate Majority Leader. He took a leave during that time to work for the Mayor and City Assembly of Szeged, Hungary, creating the city’s first Office of Public Affairs. During the last 10 years he has served as the Communications Director for two large school districts in Washington and most recently in California.

He and his wife, an Associate Professor at USC, have three children in public schools. McGillivray is a resident of Claremont, California.

Derderian and McGillivray may be reached via the Public Affairs Office at 626-744-4755, or via e-mail
at lderderian@cityofpasadena.net or tmcgillivray@cityofpasadena.net.