Longtime Artesia City Manager Dadian announces retirement; Council to meet Monday night

By Brian Hews

Artesia City Manager Maria Dadian

Longtime Artesia City Manager Maria Dadian announced last week that she will be retiring on October 19, and members of the Artesia City Council are already in the process of determining how the veteran city official is going to be replaced.

Dadian made her announcement last week to Mayor John Lyon and the other members of the Artesia City Council.

“After being in Municipal services since 1975, I have decided that now in the time to step aside and enter a new phase of my life. This has been a very difficult decision to make, but now is the right time to retire,” Dadian told Los Cerritos Community Newspaper on Monday morning.

Dadian was making a $134,094.02 per year salary, according to city records obtained by LCCN.

The Artesia City Council will be holding a special meeting on Monday night beginning at 6 p.m. to discuss the situation. The public is invited to attend the meeting that will be held on Clarkdale Avenue across from Artesia Park.

“It is never a good time to retire, but I want to spend more time with my husband and mother,” Dadian said. She has been the top administrator in Artesia for the past 12 years.

“Serving the people of Artesia, and serving the entire community has been the biggest honor of my lifetime. I am at a loss for words. I hope I was able to make Artesia a more vibrant community,” Dadian reflected.

“Relationships I have made have been priceless, everyone who lives in Artesia is like a member of my own family,” she said.

Dadian joined the City of Artesia management team in January 1994, assuming the administration and oversight of the City’s Public Safety programs, Capital Projects, Community Development projects, and grant programs in the position of Assistant City Manager.

In the summer of 1996, Dadian’s scope of responsibility increased as she was assigned the administration of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department as well as the Public Works Department.

Dadian also served as “acting” City Manager during the absence of the City Manager. Then, on November 20, 2000, she was appointed City Manager.

In 1975, Dadian began her career in municipal government working for the City of South El Monte. In March 1982, she accepted the position of Parks and Recreation Director with the City of Hawaiian Gardens, and after four years was promoted to Assistant to the City Administrator. After 11 years of continuous service with the city, she was named interim Executive Director of Hawaiian Gardens’ newly established non-profit organization called the Coalition for Youth Development. During her municipal career she has been contracted by both public entities and private businesses to organize and implement public safety and recreation programs.

Dadian has a degree in Sociology from California State University, Los Angeles.