The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 108, No. 30 - July 25, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................14
Classifieds............................4
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Entertainment......................7
Food.......................................7
Legals............................ 12,13
Pets......................................14
Police Reports.....................6
Real Estate................8-11,15
Sports.............................. 5,11
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Sunny
77˚/67˚
Saturday
Sunny
77˚/68˚
Sunday
Mostly
Sunny
78˚/66˚
Babe Ruth 13s Head to Regional
The El Segundo Babe Ruth League 13-year-old all-stars are competing this week in the Pacific Southwest Regional. The winner heads to the Babe Ruth World Series. Top row, left to right: Coach Andy Smith,
Evan Sherrill, James Baldino, Holden Coulter, Coach Pedro Martinez, Manager Kiko Martinez. Middle row, left to right: Lucas Bonham, Nik Kvitek, Max Martinez, Dylan Immel, Dominick Kopecky, Adan
Barbosa. Bottom row, left to right: Kevin Blake, Dylan Alcala, Cruz Ochoa, Ryan Pascarelli, Zak Porat. Photo: Gregg McMullin
New El Segundo City Manager
Views Role as All About the Team
By Brian Simon
It may have gone unnoticed by most, but
when the El Segundo City Council members
decided to wear Hawaiian shirts for their July
16 session, they were not alone in the fashion
choice. Newly appointed City Manager Scott
Mitnick, in his council meeting debut, joined
them in colorful island garb of his own. It was
a small, but notable act of solidarity and part
of a team-player philosophy that Mitnick hopes
will serve the City of El Segundo well as he
begins his tenure here. “I am a big believer in the
use of teams, especially the ‘executive team’ of
department heads, and I practice the participatory
management style of leadership,” he said.
In addition to promoting a hands-on, collaborative
approach, Mitnick also operates under
a mantra that considers the end game before
he even gets started: The Athenian Oath, found
on the front lobby wall inside the Maxwell
School of Citizenship and Public Affairs main
building at Syracuse University (where Mitnick
earned his MPA degree), states the following:
“We will transmit this city not only not less,
but greater, better and more beautiful than it
was transmitted to us.”
The words above serve as Mitnick’s guiding
principle to leave a place better off than it was
when he arrived. “I chose local government as a
career to be able to have a positive impact on the
community and to comply with the ideals of the
Athenian Oath,” he said. He also gravitated towards
this career path thanks to the influence of his uncle
Stuart Rappaport – the longtime assistant public
defender for Los Angeles County and later public
defender for Santa Clara County. As a kid growing
up in La Habra, Mitnick was continually fascinated
when his uncle told stories about various
case assignments. The elder’s passion and enthusiasm
for criminal justice inspired the nephew
to initially pursue a career as a public defender.
But Mitnick ultimately altered course after
spending time at Bristol University in England
studying philosophy and politics. Upon his return
to the States to complete his senior year, he landed
an internship in Brea’s city manager’s office that
proved to be both highly rewarding and eyeopening.
Mitnick became hooked on city
government and has never looked back since. His
resume includes more than 30 years of local
government management experience, with 21 of
those at the executive level and 11 as a city
manager – holding the fort for the municipalities
of Thousand Oaks, Yuba City and Burbank. Mitnick
additionally spent two years as the county
administrator for Sutter County in Northern California.
He also dabbled in the private sector with
positions as a director/financial advisor with
KNN Public Finance in Oakland and as managing
director/investment banker with Stifel,
Nicolaus & Company in Downtown Los Angeles
Looking at his career highlights, Mitnick
pointed to his selection as the city manager of
Thousand Oaks in 2005 during a very difficult
period. “I was proud to bring political and
managerial stability there and build a first-rate
organization over a decade… successfully leading
and navigating through the Great Recession
and helping this city to obtain a general fund
AAA bond rating,” he said. Mitnick also reported
successes in managing Sutter County,
noting that he took a “dysfunctional group and
made it a highly successful team.”
While in Thousand Oaks, Mitnick also
spearheaded the adoption of a 10-year financial
strategic plan. He said he appreciates the El
Segundo City Council’s commitment to its
own long-term strategy that aims to achieve
five major objectives. But when asked to draw
the closest comparison to his previous stints,
Mitnick was quick to mention that El Segundo
is most similar to Burbank where he spent the
first seven years of his career after graduating
from Syracuse University in 1989. “El Segundo
is a diamond in the rough with an incredibly
bright future,” he said. “City staff are amazing
and committed to making El Segundo a stronger
community. The community is awesome with
a long history of independence and a really
strong sense of place and self-confidence.”
El Segundo’s inherent appeal prompted
Mitnick to leave a private sector job he enjoyed.
“I accepted the position due to the unique
nature of El Segundo, forward-thinking city
council, high-caliber executive team, and
exciting future for the community and organization,”
he said. “I am honored to be back in a
city manager position and in a profession that
I sincerely love. Public service is a privilege
and being selected as this community’s city
manager is an honor.”
Though inundated with work from the
get-go, Mitnick described his first two weeks
on the job in El Segundo as an “awesome”
See City Manager, page 13
City Manager Scott Mitnick