City manager to retire

Elaine Andersen, who has served as Folsom's city manager for more than six years, announced she plans to retire in late December, capping a 35-year career. Andersen's tenure began July 16, 2018, and once she retires, she will have served in the role for about 6 1/2 years. Andersen shared with the Folsom City Council she will do whatever she can to facilitate the recruitment process for the next city manager to ensure a smooth transition. Andersen has served the city of Folsom for nearly 20 years. She also has served as special projects manager, acting director for various city departments, deputy city manager and assistant city manager. Before joining the city of Folsom, she served in various positions with the city of Sacramento and state of California, and at a private sector public affairs firm. Andersen was named to the Sacramento Business Journal's "Power 100" list in 2024. "It has been my greatest professional honor to serve as Folsom's city manager alongside and in partnership and collaboration with an unmatched, stellar city employee team," Andersen said. "Hundreds of city employees across all departments devote their skills, time, kindness and work ethic to create and maintain the Folsom experience. I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to serve the city we all love in such a special way, and to lead (and learn from) such excellent employees. Many of them are often unsung heroes, and I could not be prouder to continue to sing their praises as I move on to the next chapter of my life. "My husband Jay and I first moved to Folsom over 33 years ago," Andersen continued. "Once I joined the city of Folsom organization almost 20 years ago, my personal and professional lives very naturally intertwined, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Jay and I put down deep roots here, raised our children here and built friendships to last a lifetime in an outstanding city home to amazing people. Being Folsom's city manager was never just a job for me, and I never took my resident cap off as I served; it's a calling for which I am so grateful." Andersen's tenure as city manager included leading the city through the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic, a transition to by-district council elections, a 100-percent turnover on the city council, significant financial constraints, enhanced community education programs, greeting the very first resident of Folsom Ranch south of Highway 50 after decades of planning, securing city council adoption of the city's first strategic plan in many years, comprehensive succession planning efforts to prepare the city organization for anticipated retirements in key positions, the completion of long overdue renovation projects of city amenities, construction of new amenities – including Fire Station 34 and Prospector Park, which will open in just a couple of months – and many other accomplishments. "Elaine Andersen is one of the top executive managers I have ever worked with, and serving with her has been a professional highlight of my entire career," said Mayor Mike Kozlowski. "Elaine's skills – technical, interpersonal and diplomatic – are unmatched, and the city and I will miss her leadership. She has provided steady and unfailingly professional leadership of our city organization. As our Folsom city manager, she has managed a staff of over 400 people and a budget of more than $250 million annually. The city manager must balance a broad spectrum of complex and very different roles as CEO of Police, Fire, Water/Sewer, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Information Technology, Finance, Library, Public Information, Community Development and other departments, services and functions. No small task. "As a longtime Folsom resident, Elaine also has a unique sense of this place, and worked hard every day to make sure that Folsom's unique place in the world, history and character were recognized and protected," Mayor Kozlowski continued. "I expect Elaine will continue to be a champion of this city we love." "I'm especially grateful to Elaine for her exceptional leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic," added Vice Mayor Sarah Aquino. "With her steady hand at the wheel, City Hall remained open, and we continued to provide outstanding service to our residents and business community."