On Tuesday, the Concord City Council unanimously agreed to appoint Jay Wilverding as its next city manager.
With the approval, Wilverding will succeed Valerie Barone who announced her retirement last fall saying she would retire at the end of the fiscal year (June 2026).
Jasmin Loi, Director of Human Resources, told the council it was a comprehensive nationwide search. She highlighted his experience in the East Bay and called him “uniquely prepared” to lead the city.
Jay Wilverding spoke during public comments:
“It’s hard to describe how grateful and excited I am to be here tonight. As you already know, I have spent 25 years of my adult and professional career just minutes away from where we are now. And let me just say, it certainly feels good to be coming back home. For me, this appointment here tonight as your new city manager concludes an extensive and intentional search on my part.
During this interview process, I was asked two important questions. Why this job? Why Concord? I’d like to address both of those questions separately, and publicly.
Why this job? Because I wanted to work for a council that is collaborative, engaging, innovative, supportive, and has a vision for their organization and their community. Without question, that council is right here in front of me tonight. I also believe your management team is a very positive reflection of this council because throughout this transition process, your team has been helpful, effective, responsive and incredibly friendly.
So, why Concord? Because I firmly believe the City of Concord is the East Bay’s next big opportunity and I am looking forward to being an important part of that. Concord has many wonderful qualities and much untapped potential. In contrast to its surrounding communities, Concord is relatively affordable, providing people with room to live, not just exist. Concord has ideal transportation and transit connectivity so people can be conveniently connected.
With Todos Santos Plaza as its community anchor, Concord provides an urban lifestyle but with a local feal. And looking on the horizon, the Concord Naval Reuse Project provides a once in a generation development opportunity where we can all be a part of creating something new. Most importantly, underpinning this all is a key focus on public safety where the Concord Police Department continues to make significant progress and improvements through the effective use of resources and technologies.
This is an exciting time for me to bring to concord my diverse skills and experiences from both the private and public sectors, including leadership, budget and finance and economic development to name just a few.
Before I close, I want to acknowledge and thank my wonderful wife Ellen who has supported me throughout my career and the numerous changes that come along with it. This summer will mark our 30th wedding anniversary and we are both so excited to be celebrating it with relocation to the City of Concord.
Thank you all.
With no other public comments, the council voted 5-0 to enter an employment agreement with Wilverding.
According to the City of Concord:
Mr. Wilverding has decades of public and private sector experience, including over 25 years in financial and managerial roles. Jay spent over two decades of his career in the East Bay, including Concord and Walnut Creek. Since 2010, he has worked in local government, serving as Chief Accountant for Contra Costa County and later as the Auditor-Controller for San Joaquin County.
His most recent role was as County Administrator for San Joaquin County, where he managed a $2.9 billion county with an employee base of approximately 8,000 and administrative oversight of 20 departments. Jay successfully managed the day-to-day operations of the County for three years. His departure was unexpected, when the San Joaquin Board of Supervisors placed him on administrative leave and subsequently terminated his employment without cause. Whistleblower litigation related to this action is currently ongoing against San Joaquin County.
The Concord City Manager, appointed by the City Council, is responsible for overseeing the City’s day-to-day operations and implementing the Council’s policies and goals. Longtime City Manager Valerie Barone will retire in June 2026. The City of Concord retained Bob Murray & Associates to conduct the recruitment for the next City Manager. The nationwide recruitment process ran from late January through March 1, 2026, with the City Council interviewing the most qualified candidates in April.
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- May 7, 2026 – Concord City Council to Vote on New City Manager Contract
- Oct 2025 – Valerie Barone, Longtime Concord City Manager, to Retire
