Márquez Exits as Pasadena City Manager; Council Takes Up Interim Appointment Monday

Miguel Márquez’s tenure as Pasadena’s city manager ended Friday, closing more than three years at the helm of a City government that serves roughly 140,000 residents, employs 2,200 employees and has an annual operating and capital program of about $1.5 billion.

The City had announced his retirement on Nov. 3, saying he would step down to focus on family during a time of significant personal need. 

“In light of my father’s recent passing, my family needs me at this time, and I need to be there for them,” Márquez said in the announcement. “I leave knowing the City is fiscally stable, in good hands, and is on a solid path forward.”

The City Council on Monday is scheduled to take up the appointment of Assistant City Manager Matthew Hawkesworth to serve as interim city manager effective April 17, according to the Council agenda. The search for a permanent successor remains ongoing.

“While Miguel’s departure is a significant loss for our City, we fully support his decision to prioritize his family,” Mayor Victor Gordo said.

Councilmember Rick Cole said that Márquez “brought a temperament of calm and wisdom throughout his years of service — especially evident during the Eaton Fire when he worked tirelessly to help coordinate resources, keep residents informed, and ensure our community stayed safe during an incredibly challenging time.”

Márquez joined the City in August 2022 after the Council recruited him from Santa Clara County, where he had served as chief operating officer. He also served as an associate justice of California’s Sixth District Court of Appeal, according to the City’s official retirement announcement.

In its retirement announcement, the City credited Márquez with appointing the majority of the current executive leadership team, maintaining balanced budgets each year and restoring reserves to pre-pandemic levels, securing long-term contracts with City employee unions, passing Measures PL and L to support the Central Library retrofit and citywide library operations, investing in police and fire equipment upgrades and street improvements, and procuring more than $1 billion in long-term carbon-free energy contracts that brought the City to 92% progress toward its goal of 100% carbon-free energy by 2030. The City said his administration also led the response and recovery effort after the windstorm and Eaton Fire.

Hawkesworth has served as assistant city manager since July and previously held the City’s finance director post beginning in 2015, according to a City announcement. He served as a key leader in the City’s Emergency Operations Center during the Eaton Fire response, the City said.

In his final weekly newsletter on April 9, Márquez wrote that Hawkesworth would serve in an acting or interim role until a permanent city manager is appointed. 

The City launched a nationwide recruitment on Jan. 5 and accepted applications through Jan. 29, but no permanent appointment has been publicly announced.