City hires new city manager
Nicole Dailey, the current Deputy City Manager for the City of Lake Elsinore, has been chosen to replace outgoing City Manager Chris Mann, who is leaving the city the end of the month.
Nicole has already been brought on board and is under a short-term consulting agreement that will give her the opportunity to shadow Chris this month prior to Chris’ departure to take the head job at the City of Yucaipa on March 1. A formal employment agreement will be presented to the City Council for approval at its next City Council Meeting on Wednesday.
“By moving quickly and taking a hands-on approach to conducting the search, the City Council has avoided a lengthy and costly recruitment process in the hopes of ensuring a smooth, seamless transition,” City Management Analyst Cory Gorham said.
Mayor Jeremy Smith and Councilmember Kasey Castillo served as the search committee, and after considering various options and potential candidates, invited Nicole to meet with and be interviewed by the City Council during a closed session. Based on her unique experience and demonstrated skills, the City Council agreed to move forward with her selection as the city’s next City Manager, Cory said.
Nicole has more than 17 years of municipal management experience and most recently served as Deputy City Manager for the City of Lake Elsinore, a neighboring city with a population of 71,563.
“Ms. Dailey comes highly recommended,” Jeremy said. “She is an experienced, visionary local public sector leader that is passionate about the future of our region and our community. Under Mr. Mann’s leadership, we have built a high-performing organization, and my colleagues and I have no doubt Ms. Dailey is the right fit to ensure we build on our recent success and continue finding thoughtful and innovative solutions to best serve the citizens of Canyon Lake.”
Nicole has worked with some of the top executive leaders in Riverside County. While this will be her first time serving as City Manager, she worked for the City of Lake Elsinore in the City Manager’s Office and with the City Council for the past nine years.
During this time in Lake Elsinore, she was responsible for various special programs and projects such as community relations, governmental affairs, communications, economic development, and lake water quality.
Some of her recent accomplishments included leading the charge to reduce homelessness by nearly 50 percent, coordinating funding and interagency support for long-term water quality projects for Lake Elsinore, and developing the city’s first 20-year strategic plan.
Other notable accomplishments include securing more than $10 million in grants to implement new, innovative solutions for the city, planning and hosting high-profile events, and coordinating the public response to large-scale crisis situations including COVID-19, the Holy Fire and Flood, and the infamous Super Bloom.
“I believe in transparent, honest, and authentic public service that is focused on delivering meaningful solutions that elevate the quality of life for the entire community,” Nicole said. “I have grown up here in this region, I have friends and family in and around the city, and I consider it an honor to have the support of this dynamic City Council that puts its citizens first. I look forward to working with the city’s high-performing team and being a part of this proactive and engaged community.”
Beyond her public sector experience, Nicole currently owns Dailey Strategies, a public affairs and communications consulting business specializing in strategic planning, land development, community engagement and governmental affairs programs.
Nicole is a resident of the City of Lake Elsinore has lived in Lake Elsinore for 32 years and graduated from the Lake Elsinore Unified School District before earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree from San Diego State University with a Major in Communications and a Minor in Political Science.
She also earned her Masters in Business Administration from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. She has four children with her long-time partner, Justin.
“Nicole is going to be a tremendous asset for the City of Canyon Lake,” Chris, the out-going City Manager, said. “I have worked with her for many years and know she is going to meet and exceed the goals of the City Council while keeping our team united and community engaged.”
During his tenure, Chris was credited with turning around the finances of Canyon Lake over his four-year stint, professionalizing city staffing and operations, implementing popular quality of life programs that increased General Fund revenue by 31 percent without raising taxes, launching aggressive economic development initiatives, and taking the city’s budget from an $800,000 deficit to a surplus of more than $400,000, Cory said.
These accomplishments are in addition to establishing the Canyon Lake Fire Department, which has widely been seen as a tremendous success. Having its own Fire Department has allowed the city to save money, reduce emergency medical response times, and increase community involvement.
“I am ready, able and eager to keep our momentum going by getting things done together as a team while remaining focused on upholding a quality life that makes Canyon Lake the premier place to live in Southern California,” Nicole said.
Once her employment agreement is approved by the City Council on Wednesday, Nicole will be set to officially take over the role of City Manager on March 1.
The City of Canyon Lake will also formally recognize Chris’ service at the City Council meeting. Members of the council and city staff will honor him at the meeting, his last with the city.