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After more than 20 years of serving the Pleasanton community, assistant city manager Pamela Ott is moving into retirement later this week.
In the press release Friday announcing Ott’s departure, city officials confirmed City Manager Gerry Beaudin has appointed deputy city manager Alexa Jeffress as Ott’s successor. Jeffress will be set to assume her new role starting July 1.
“When I was hired by the city, I knew the opportunity would be fulfilling, but I didn’t know how much I would grow to love this career and community,” Ott told the Pleasanton Weekly. “All along the way, it’s been a privilege to work with so many dedicated people who do their best to keep Pleasanton the special place that it is, and I am proud to have a role in this.”
Ott first joined the city government in 2003 following two years of service as the executive director of the Pleasanton Downtown Association. She began her career in Pleasanton as the city’s economic development manager where she played a “pivotal role in shaping Pleasanton’s thriving business community”, according to the city press release.
According to her LinkedIn, Ott was quickly promoted to the director of economic development and community engagement that same year and stayed in that role until 2020 when she was bumped up to the deputy city manager role.
A year later in 2021, Ott was promoted to her current role of assistant city manager where she has remained until now.
Her last day with the city is this Friday (June 20), according to the city.
“Pamela has been a pillar of leadership in Pleasanton, helping advance complex initiatives while always keeping the community’s needs and interests at the forefront,” Beaudin said in the press release. “Her thoughtful guidance and dedication to public service will be greatly missed.”
Throughout her tenure, Ott has overseen various critical city functions, including public works, community development, business licensing, economic development and public communications. Some of the projects she helped advance include the Workday headquarters campus, the Johnson Drive Economic Development Zone and the expansion of 10x Genomics, according to the city.
“Her steady leadership, collaborative approach, and commitment to service have left a lasting impact on the organization and the Pleasanton community,” the press release stated.
As Ott gets set to leave her post, Jeffress — who assumed her current role as deputy city manager in February 2023 — will be getting ready to become the next assistant city manager next month. Apart from her two years with the city, Jeffress brings with her more than 20 years of experience in government administration, project management, and economic and community development, according to the city press release.
Before coming on as deputy city manager, Jeffress served as the director of the economic and workforce development department for the city of Oakland. She also held leadership positions with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and BRIDGE Housing, an affordable real estate developer based in San Francisco.
According to the city, during the past two years as deputy city manager Jeffress has overseen various city services such as library and recreation, information technology, the city clerk’s office, emergency preparedness, and waste and recycling. She has also been “instrumental in advancing major citywide initiatives” such as ONE Pleasanton, the city’s first five-year strategic plan; the city’s two-year budget development; and a centralized emergency management division.
“We are fortunate to have Alexa step into this important role,” Beaudin said in the press release. “Her professional experience, expertise, and dedication make her an excellent fit to help guide the organization forward.”
The city will not be seeing a replacement for Jeffress because the position is being eliminated as “part of the internal reductions for the upcoming budget”, according to city communications manager Heather Tiernan.
Calling Pamela Ott a pillar of Pleasanton is an understatement. Over the past 20 years, she has served our community with exceptional dedication and impact. Her contributions have been invaluable, and she will be deeply missed.