Dan Singer hired as city manager

A seasoned governmental leader took over June 1 as Poway’s city manager.

Dan Singer became only the fourth city manager since Poway’s 1980 incorporation. He replaced Penny Riley, a long-time city employee who retired after four years in the top City Hall job.

Singer, 50, was one of 65 applicants for the job. He had been city manager of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, since 2005.

Following his hiring Singer said it was a chance meeting at a League of California Cities conference that pointed him toward Poway. That’s where he met the head of the recruitment firm hired by Poway to come up with job candidates.

“She asked me why I hadn’t applied,” Singer said. “I told her I was unaware of the opening.”

He ended up being one of two finalists and agreed to a three-year contract with a starting salary of Singer started at $219,950 per year. He recently received a 2.75 percent salary increase after successfully completing a 90-day review. The increase was written into his contract.

Singer and his wife, Olga, moved into a home they purchased in Poway. That puts him only minutes from his office, a far cry from the hour commute he had to Goleta from his home in Ojai. He had been city manager in Ojai for 12 years.

“The quality of life in Poway didn’t happen by accident and is a large part of what attracted me to this job,” Singer said Monday. “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the council and the community to build on our past successes in making Poway a truly remarkable place to live, work and recreate.”

Following incorporation, Jim Bowersox served as city manager for 24 years before retiring in 2005. Bowersox remains a Poway resident. Rod Gould, then the city manger in San Rafael, was hired to replace Bowersox and served four years before becoming the city manager in Santa Monica. He recently announced his retirement from that post. Riley, who joined the city in 1988, served from January 2010 until her retirement in February.