———————— Peckham & McKenney, 300 Harding Boulevard, Suite 203D, Roseville, CA 95678 ————————
August 20, 2025
Councilmember Greer Stone
Vice Mayor Vicki Veenker
Councilmember Pat Burt
Via Email: [email protected]
Dear Chair and members of the CAO Committee,
Thank you for considering Peckham & McKenney for the City’s City Attorney recruitment. I would be honored to have the opportunity to represent the City for this important search. I have enjoyed working with your team over the last several months. I apologize for not being in attendance at your CAO meeting, but I will be attending another agency’s City Council meeting that evening.
As a boutique firm that specializes in recruitments for small and medium -sized communities in California, Peckham & McKenney is known for achieving successful and long -term placements. Among many strong attributes, these are four key reasons agencies choose us:
• We actively and personally search for, find, and pursue candidates throughout California and the nation.
We don’t act as a supermarket and wait for (or expect) prospective applicants to simply find a position on our website, in an ad, or from social media. Through an extensive personal and corporate network, and with a keen understanding of what our client is looking for, we market your opportunity and use the telephone and LinkedIn along with text, email and social media to find candidates. • We limit the number of concurrent searches in order to directly focus on serving our client. • We prioritize a respectful, thorough, responsive, communicative, and complete process to represent you, our client, in the best light, keep everyone informed, and make the recruitment process a positive experience for everyone. Moreover, we communicate with applicants and treat them with respect. • Your Recruiter is personally, solely, and directly responsible for all aspects of the search; your Recruiter is also your one point of contact. In other words, your Recruiter who knows about the agency and the responsibilities of the vacant position handles all components of the recruitment (for example, preparing the Candidate Profile, conducting outreach, reviewing applicants, presenting applicants, facilitating interviews, and conducting reference checks).
Our Peckham & McKenney team is comprised of retired municipal managers and directors who are passionate about the public sector. I am proud to be on the Peckham & McKenney team because the firm’s values and priorities align with mine – to assist public agencies in furtherance of good government; to place quality above quantity; and to build long lasting relationships with those in the public service.
As you’ll see on page three of the proposal, Peckham & McKenney has extensive experience assisting elected and appointed bodies with recruitment processes. In addition, in my role as the Human Resources Director for the City of Seaside, I assisted the City Council with a City Attorney recruitment and several City Manager recruitments. I am currently assisting the City Councils of Brentwood, King City, Morro Bay, and Pittsburg
———————— Peckham & McKenney, 300 Harding Boulevard, Suite 203D, Roseville, CA 95678 ———————— with their City Manager recruitments. I am also assisting the West Valley Sanitation District with their District Manager / Engineer recruitment.
Attached is a detailed proposal for conducting the search that includes information about our firm, process, timeline, resources, references, experience, and fee. We charge a fixed, all-inclusive fee, and for this search we are proposing $30,000. I am available to begin developing your ideal candidate profile in September, opening the recruitment in October, with interviews in December.
I am excited for the opportunity to implement the process leading to the successful placement of a candidate that “fits” your interests and the organization. Please feel free to call me at (831) 998- 3194, if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Roberta L. Greathouse
Executive Recruiter
[email protected]
Enclosure: Proposal
Sample Candidate Profile
———————— Peckham & McKenney, 300 Harding Boulevard, Suite 203D, Roseville, CA 95678 ————————
City of Palo Alto
RECRUITMENT PROPOSAL
for
City Attorney
August 20, 2025
———————— Peckham & McKenney, 300 Harding Boulevard, Suite 203D, Roseville, CA 95678 ————————
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHY CHOOSE US? 1
EXPERIENCE 3
YOUR RECRUITMENT TEAM 5
THE SEARCH PROCESS AND SCHEDULE 7
COST OF SERVICES 8
Cost of Services
Process of Payment
Insurance
GUARANTEE AND DIVERSITY 9
Guarantee
Diversity Statement
2 | Peckham & McKenney
3 | Peckham & McKenney
EXPERIENCE
With our recruitment team that solely consists of retired City Managers, Police Chiefs, and Department Heads, and our expert support team, Peckham & McKenney brings more experience and knowledge of local government and executive search than any other California recruiter.
Our large list of current and former clients can be found on our website (here). Examples of our recruitments for City Attorney and other positions reporting to elected/appointed boards over the last several years include:
Brentwood, CA Assistant City Attorney
Brentwood, CA City Attorney
Marina, CA City Attorney
Napa County, CA County Counsel
Pasadena, CA Chief Assistant City Attorney
Redding, CA City Attorney
San Joaquin Regional Rail* In House Legal Counsel
San Pablo, CA City Attorney
San Rafael, CA Assistant City Attorney
Sunnyvale, CA* City Attorney
Anderson, CA City Manager
Corning, CA City Manager
Fox Canyon Groundwater Mgmt Agency, CA* Executive Officer Ione, CA City Manager
Los Gatos, CA Town Manager
Mammoth Lakes, CA* Town Manager
Manteca, CA* City Manager
Merced County, CA* County Executive Officer
Milpitas, CA City Manager
Mono County, CA County Administrative Officer
Napa County, CA County Executive Officer
North Sonoma Coast Fire Protection Dist, CA* District Administrator Pleasant Hill, CA City Manager
Portola Valley, CA Town Manager
San Luis Obispo, CA City Manager
SLO Integrated Waste Mgmt Authority, CA* Executive Director Santa Barbara, CA City Administrator
Santa Maria, CA City Manager
Sunnyvale, CA* City Manager
*Recruitments conducted by Ms. Greathouse
4 | Peckham & McKenney
Please don’t hesitate to contact any of our large list of current and former clients on our website (here); they will attest to our quality of service, on-going communication throughout the process, personal and direct outreach and sourcing of candidates, quality applicant pool, written materials and interview facilitation.
As an ambassador of our clients, Peckham & McKenney is also known for maintaining ongoing communications with our applicants throughout the search process, treat ing every applicant with respect, and appropriately informing candidates to support their best effort. The numerous compliments we have received from applicants fairly illustrate this reputation.
Testimonials from clients and candidates are at https://www.peckhamandmckenney.com/testimonials.
Please feel free to call any of the communities listed herein, or on our website here, or as follows as a reference about the firm, our recruiters, and our service. Additionally, you may contact any of Roberta’s references:
• City of Sunnyvale: Assistant City Manager, City Manager, City Attorney, & Finance Director Tina Murphy, Director of Human Resources, (408) 730-3001; [email protected] Larry Klein, Mayor, [email protected]
• San Luis Obispo Integrated Waste Management Authority: Executive Director Robert Robert, Mayor of Grover Beach, (805) 473-4567 [email protected] • County of Merced: County Administrative Officer
Forrest Hansen, County Counsel, [email protected] Tom Ebersole, Assistant County Counsel, [email protected]
5 | Peckham & McKenney
YOUR RECRUITMENT TEAM
Our Approach
With every Peckham & McKenney recruitment,
your Recruiter has the entire Peckham & McKenney
team of Recruiters and administrative personnel for
backup, support, collaboration, and sourcing.
However, w hen you retain Peckham & McKenney ,
your Recruiter serves as your single point of contact
throughout the entire search process and is fully
responsible for its success . Moreover, in order to
fully focus on your search and finding applicants that
fit with the ideal candidate you are seeking, your
Recruiter also maintains no more than 6 active
searches.
Roberta Greathouse will be the Executive Recruiter
for this search.
Roberta Greathouse, Executive Recruiter
Roberta enjoyed a 34-year career in the public sector, retiring from the City of Seaside, California as the Human Resources Director and Risk Manager, where she also served as the City’s Acting City Manager for almost 1 year. Prior to joining Seaside’s team, Roberta served the City of Monterey for 18 years in a variety of departments and roles. Roberta is experienced in every aspect of human resources including labor and employee relations, recruitment, selection, classification and compensation, employee b enefits, workers’ compensation, and employee development. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University, is a Senior Certified Human Resources Professional (PSHRA-SCP), and certified Risk Management Practitioner (RMP). She was nominated for the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority’s coveted Capstone Award in 2016 for her leadership in Risk Management.
Roberta is supported by the following team.
Joyce Johnson, Operations Manager
Joyce Johnson joined Peckham & McKenney in 2005 and serves as the firm's Operations Manager. She has over 30 years' experience in the field of administrative and executive support for all aspects of the executive recruitment process. She oversees internal administration of the firm as well as directing contract administrative support in the areas of advertising and design, web posting, and duplication and mailing services. Prior to joining Peckham & McKenney, Ms. Johnson oversaw internal administration in the Western Region headquarters of two national management consulting and executive recruitment firms. Ms. Johnson is complimented regularly on her strong customer orientation working with both clients and candidates alike. Ms. Johnson holds an Associate of Arts degree from American River College.
The Peckham & McKenney Team
6 | Peckham & McKenney
Tayler Bergstrom, Research Assistant
Tayler Bergstrom joined Peckham & McKenney in 2022 and currently serves as a Research Associate. Tayler is currently pursuing a PhD at UCLA where she worked previously as a lab manager overseeing various research projects. Prior to that, Tayler graduated from UC San Diego with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.
Linda Pucilowski, Graphic Designer
With nearly 30 years of experience, Linda Pucilowski provides her expert design and marketing skills to Peckham & McKenney. She is the firm’s “go-to” professional for all advertising and brochure design and creation. Ms.
Pucilowski holds a Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento.
Rachel Moran, Website & Social Media Assistant
Rachel Moran has been in the graphic design field since 2007 and prides herself on creating eye-catching visual art. She supports the Peckham & McKenney team by handling all website visual and technical design as well as social media. Ms. Moran graduated from the Art Institute of Houston obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design.
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7 | Peckham & McKenney
8 | Peckham & McKenney
The fee to conduct the entire search process for your City Attorney recruitment will be $30,000. We are pleased to discuss this along with the proposed process to provide the service desired by the City and be responsive to the City’s needs. This is an all-inclusive fee for the services to achieve success in your search as described herein. Additional services can be provided and negotiated accordingly.
9 | Peckham & McKenney
• We will connect with you and our placement in 6 months and 1 year after the appointment to check-in.
• We will conduct a second search within 6 months of our search process if a candidate is not placed.
• If the placement vacates the position within 1 year from the date of accepting the offer, we agree to conduct a second search within 6 months of the vacancy.
It is unusual that we are unsuccessful in providing a placement or the placement vacates the position within a year. In the unlikely event that no qualified candidates are identified as a result of the search efforts, and it is mutually agreed that the result is due to the search effort and/or process, we will extend the search for a second time for expenses ($7,200) only. If qualified applicants are not selected or the selected candidate is separated from employment within 1 year after accepting the offer, a second search will be conducted for the discounted fixed fee of $17,600 (external candidates only and except in the event of budgetary cutbacks, promotion, position elimination, or illness/death, etc.). Note: the guarantee only applies to full recruitments. For partial recruitments, the fee for a 2nd recruitment will be negotiable.
City Attorney
City of Sunnyvale, California
The Heart of
Silicon V alley
With a population of over 156,000,
Sunnyvale is the seventh largest city in
the San Francisco Bay Area and the
second largest in Santa Clara County.
Incorporated in 1912, the City has
transformed from an agricultural
community to the nexus of research,
development, and manufacturing that
created the Silicon Valley. Almost
8,000 local businesses provide a rich
mixture of goods and services, including
many icons in tech, manufacturing,
retail, and research and development.
Sunnyvale’s ten largest employers are
Google, Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn,
Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Amazon.com
Services LLC, Lockheed Martin Space
Systems, Applied Materials, Cepheid,
and Walmart, Inc.
In addition to being a center of
technology and innovation, Sunnyvale is
a city of quiet family neighborhoods, a
vibrant and thriving downtown, strong
schools, and a diverse community.
Boasting a mild and sunny climate with
easy access to metropolitan amenities and
abundant natural beauty, Sunnyvale is
an ideal location to live, work, and play.
The Caltrain station, located downtown,
is only a few blocks from City Hall. The
San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland
International Airports are easily
accessible, and the area is home to many
museums, theaters, concert halls, art
galleries, and professional sports teams.
The City’s parks and recreation system
boasts 23 parks; facilities for golf,
tennis, and swimming; a library; and a
community / senior center. Sunnyvale’s
historic downtown is home to a variety
of local eateries and merchants, and
hosts frequent art festivals, concerts, and
a year-round farmers’ market. Residents
and visitors enjoy the Art & Wine
Festival, the Summer Music Series, the
Hands on the Arts Festival, and many
seasonal events throughout the year.
The City’s Department of Public Safety
has kept Sunnyvale ranked at the top of
the nation’s safest cities. Its pioneering
model integrates police, fire, and
emergency response, with every officer
fully cross-trained as a police officer,
firefighter, and EMT.
For more information about the
City of Sunnyvale, please visit
Sunnyvale, CA | Home.
The Organization
The City of Sunnyvale is a Charter City
with a seven-member City Council and
a council-manager form of government.
The Mayor is elected at large, while
the six council members are elected
by district. The City Council meets at
least two Tuesday nights per month.
The Council and City staff enjoy a
collaborative, supportive, and respectful
relationship with a high level of trust.
The City’s 2023/2024 budget totals
$608M with a $335M operating
budget, $173M for project and
equipment expenditures, and $26.8M
in contributions to reserves. Sound
fiscal policies are imbedded into the
City’s culture, with a 10-year balanced
budget required by Charter and 20-year
projections as a matter of long-standing
City policy.
The City is a full-service agency with
940 FTE employees serving in all
municipal functions, including the
departments of City Manager, City
Attorney, Public Safety, Community
Development, Library & Recreation
Services, Environmental Services, Public
Works, Finance, Human Resources,
and Information Technology. The
City Manager and City Attorney are
appointed by, and serve at the pleasure
of, the City Council.
The Position
The City Attorney plans, organizes, and
directs activities of the City Attorney's
Office; provides assistance and advice
to City Council and staff in accordance
with Council policies; and heads
litigation and other legal work. The City
Attorney provides legal representation
and legal counsel in all matters to the
City Council, its committees, its boards
and commissions, the City Manager,
and City departments.
The Department
The City Attorney's Office
Comprehensive Legal Services
Program is comprised of three service
areas: Provide Legal Advice, Provide
Representation, and Management and
Administration. The City Attorney's
its effective and fair
operation.
• The ability to lead,
manage, and supervise
a cohesive team of
talented attorneys and
professional staff in a
high performing department.
• The ability to provide clear direction;
ensure projects move forward in a
timely fashion, hold themselves and
staff accountable; and inspire, mentor,
and develop staff.
• A high degree of emotional
intelligence and an inclusive mindset
with a commitment to diversity,
equity, access, and inclusion.
• The courage to make difficult
decisions and take responsibility
for, and correct the impacts of, any
mistakes.
• The confidence to say, “I don’t know”
and consult with staff and other
counsel as needed.
Experience/Education
Requirements
The selected candidate will possess:
• A Juris Doctor degree from an
accredited law school;
• Seven years of active municipal
law practice, including two years
of supervisory and/or management
experience;
• An active membership in the State
Bar of California and qualification
to practice law before all California
state courts, the United States District
Court for the Northern District of
California, and the Ninth Circuit
Courts of Appeals; and
FY 2023/24 Operating Budget is $2.35
million and is supported by six staff
in addition to the City Attorney. The
Office also uses competent external legal
experts as needed.
The Ideal Candidate
The City Council is seeking an
experienced California public sector
attorney with substantial land use
experience. The selected candidate will be
» California Election Law
» California Public Contract Code
• Outstanding communication skills,
including:
» an ability to explain and define
complex legal issues in plain
language to the Council, staff, and
the public;
» a proactive communication style
that is concise, efficient, effective,
and values public outreach; and
» the ability to clearly articulate
legal risks, options, and mitigation
measures associated with policy
and operational decisions.
• The skills to stay abreast of and advise
the City Council on emerging issues
at the local, state, and federal levels.
• A conservative and balanced
approach to minimizing risk to
the City to ensure tax dollars are
protected while acting within and
prioritizing the City’s values.
• A forward-thinking mentality
employing proactive strategies
and providing a range of
recommendations to protect the City
well into the future.
• A collaborative, creative, problem
solving, and strategic business
partner mindset with the ability to
provide legal advice to the Council,
City Manager, and staff that enables
them to achieve their operational
goals and objectives.
• Tact, discretion, diplomacy, humility,
loyalty, and a sense of humor.
• Integrity, a strong moral compass,
and a commitment to act in a manner
to assure public confidence in the
integrity of local government and
accessible, respond promptly to Council
and staff queries, and ensure Council
is fully prepared for meetings and City
staff are able to meet their deadlines. A
successful candidate will possess:
• The ability to establish and maintain
a relationship of confidence and trust
with the Mayor and Councilmembers,
City Commissioners, all levels of City
management and City staff, other
governmental officials, business and
community leaders, the public and
others encountered while serving as
the City Attorney.
• A strong working knowledge of
municipal law, including:
» Brown Act
» Political Reform Act
» Public Records Act
» California Environmental
Quality Act
» Density Bonus Law
» California Housing
Accountability Act
The Recruitment
Process
To apply for this key position and
exciting career opportunity, please
submit a current resume and compelling
cover letter through our website at:
Peckham & McKenney
www.peckhamandmckenney.com
Resumes are acknowledged within
two business days. Contact Roberta
Greathouse at 831.998.3194, toll-free at
866.912.1919, or via email at Roberta@
PeckhamandMcKenney.com if you
have any questions regarding this
position or the recruitment process.
• Continued maintenance of a valid
class C California driver's license and
a safe driving record.
Residing in the City of Sunnyvale
and being actively engaged with the
community is highly desirable.
The Compensation
Pack age
The annual salary range for this at-will
position is from $240,000 to $320,000,
depending on qualifications. The City
offers the following excellent benefits:
Relocation Assistance: May be
offered up to the full cost of relocation.
Mortgage Assistance: The City’s
program provides a low-interest rate
loan, requires a 5% down payment, and
a loan amount up to 10 times annual
salary control point.
CalPERS Defined Benefit
Pension:
• Classic members 2% @ 60 -
Employees pay 3% of the employee
contribution and the City pays 4%.
• PEPRA members 2% @ 62 -
Employees pay the full 7.5%
employee contribution.
• The City does not participate in
Social Security; however, it does
participate in Medicare and the
employee portion is 1.45%.
Deferred Compensation: The City
contributes 2% of base salary to either
a 457 or a 401(a) plan, subject to plan
contribution limits.
Health Insurance:
• Medical Benefits - CalPERS Health
Plans with 100% of the premium for
employee and eligible dependents
paid by the City.
• Retiree Medical Insurance - Vesting
schedule that increases after 5 years
of service with the City.
• Dental & Vision - PPO or DMO
with 100% of the premium for the
employee and eligible dependents
paid by the City.
Life Insurance / AD&D: Basic
life/AD&D insurance equal to annual
base salary up to $175,000. Optional
supplemental life/AD&D insurance is
available up to $250,000.
LTD / Salary Continuation:
Long-term disability coverage of 67%
of monthly salary to a cap of $11,000.
Paid Medical Leave is available after
12-months of continuous employment.
Annual Leave: Starts at 21 days
(accrual tier negotiable); 70 hours
management leave (prorated based on
hire date); 30 hours floating holiday
(prorated based on hire date); and
11 paid holidays
Search Schedule
Filing Deadline:.............................................................March 17, 2024 Preliminary Interviews (telephonic): .....................March 27 & 28, 2024 Recommendation to City: ................................................April 10, 2024 Panel Interviews (In-Person): ..........................................April 18, 2024 Finalist Interviews (In-Person): ....................................... April 19, 2024 These dates have been confirmed, and it is recommended
that you plan your calendar accordingly.
www.peckhamandmckenney.com