She adjusts her glasses as she sits down at a large oval wooden table in a conference room. Setting down her two iPhones, she settles into a large leather office chair and prepares to talk about her vision and game plan for Pomona.
Though she may be the newly appointed city manager, Anita D. Gutierrez certainly is not new to Pomona.
Gutierrez began her career in Pomona as a planning manager, supervising planning staff and activities, before moving on to director of development services, overseeing divisions such as building and safety, planning and code compliance.
Eventually, she stepped into the role of assistant city manager, then acting city manager and now she’s the official city manager.
In each of her different government positions held over the years, she brings with her the knowledge and experience she gained in her previous roles, she says.
Now taking on the city’s highest executive position, Gutierrez says she brings with her a self-starting attitude that’s a characteristic of her A-type personality. Just six weeks into the job, she’s already identified her priorities: bringing in additional revenue, creating jobs for residents and improving public safety.
“I think, for me, it’s been a lifelong dream to be able to be in this position,” Gutierrez says while leaning forward in her chair. “A dream that I think wasn’t even vocalized until not too long ago.”
Gutierrez originally thought to pursue a career in broadcast journalism, but an opportunity to work on a political campaign led her toward civil service.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal State San Bernardino, she pursued her master’s degree in planning from USC, where she is wrapping up a doctorate in organizational change and leadership.
Her upbringing in Rialto and Redlands, where her father was a firefighter and her mother a longtime secretary for the San Bernardino City Unified School District, shaped her work ethic and focus on community.
Speaking with confidence, Gutierrez is relaxed yet professional as she discusses her new role. Serving as city manager will present new challenges, but Gutierrez says her experience in other roles at City Hall means she’s familiar with the day-to-day expectations for the top executive.
“Nothing I would say was brand new or something I hadn’t heard,” Gutierrez said. “Maybe I hadn’t been directly involved and making the decisions on a particular issue, but I was definitely involved and aware.”
Gutierrez stepped into the role initially as acting city manager in December, when then-city manager James Makshanoff abruptly left City Hall.
Pomona officials previously praised Gutierrez for her team-building skills, which she says she plans to put to full use as city manager. A staff retreat is in the works to further strengthen team connections.
“I certainly don’t know everything, and I can’t be an expert in everything,” she adds. “You’re really only as good as the team that you have. Having those people that not only can support you, but the team as a collective. We are all are extension of each other, and that group knowledge needs to be fostered.”
Gutierrez says she’s focused on working with different city departments to learn and understand any gaps that need to be filled.
“Pomona has a lot of needs and not so many resources,” she says, “and has operated on doing a lot with a little.”
Examining the city’s resources and exploring how to make departments run more efficiently is a key priority, she said.
Meanwhile, she is working with the Pomona Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to build a safer environment for citizens and businesses in the Holt Avenue corridor.
Gutierrez also plans to combat food deserts and the lack of access to fresh food in some neighborhoods.
“I am working to ensure that not only from a zoning perspective, of ‘Can (grocery stores) go there?’, but also on the economic development side, and bringing in those businesses to the areas that need the most,” she says.
She’s also committed to fostering community connections, which she says has been a priority for her in each of her roles at City Hall.
“That’s just part of my style where I want to be involved, and I think the more opportunities that I have, even with staff and externally… to interact, the closer I can be to the issues that are facing the city every day,” she adds.
Ata Khan, the city’s current planning manager, who worked with Gutierrez in the Pomona planning department, praised her for understanding systems and how they work.
“She knows how to facilitate conversations between disparate parties and how to think about the legality of things, how to consult city attorneys when you need to, and that’s nice because we can’t lose sight of our core ethics in this profession,” Khan said.
“It’s nice to see someone get their shot at the top,” he said of Gutierrez’s promotion, “especially as someone who has done everything above board and ethically.”
Nicole Englund, chief of staff for Los Angeles Metro, served as Gutierrez’s mentor while they both worked in then-LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina’s office.
“I think that she has an extraordinary ability to take a vision and turn it into reality, which I think is really important,” Englund said of Gutierrez.
Gutierrez has a “profound commitment to community,” Englund said, and “never grows tired of engaging with residents, stakeholders, and local leaders to ensure that every voice is heard and that all neighborhoods thrive.”
When Gutierrez isn’t focusing on the commitments of her job or her schoolwork, she can be found at the park or at home with her three children, a 7-year-old son and twin 4-year-old daughters, her mother and two senior dogs.
She’ll have time for hobbies after she finishes school this spring, she jokes.
“I think that paints a really good picture of what I’m about and what I want to accomplish,” Gutierrez says while shifting in her seat, adding that she appreciates the role government service plays in shaping a community.
“This is where people live, and the things that we do impact their daily lives and the quality of life that they can ultimately enjoy,” she adds. “So I don’t take that for granted.”
