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Thaddeus McCormack (at right) meets with Howard Chambers at Lakewood City Hall on Monday. Chambers presented McCormack with a mug saying “Keep Calm: You Live In Lakewood.” Photo courtesy of Lakewood City Hall.
By Tammye McDuff
The Lakewood City Council has chosen Thaddeus McCormack, currently the city manager of Santa Fe Springs, to be Lakewood’s new city manager.
McCormack is a veteran to city government, having served the City of Santa Fe Springs for more than 19 years, beginning as a part-time intern to a management analyst, assistant city manager and promoted in 2011 to city manager.
“It was a daunting task trying to find a replacement for Howard Chambers, our amazing city manager for 41 years, but we have achieved success,” said Mayor Diane DuBois. “The City Council held interviews with a number of top candidates, and Thaddeus McCormack impressed us greatly. We believe he will be a good fit for Lakewood and for continuing our tradition of top-quality service for our residents.”
McCormack’s starting date with Lakewood is slated for the Fall of 2017. Long-time Lakewood City Manager Howard Chambers will be retiring at the end of July. Assistant City Manager Carol Flynn-Jacoby will serve as acting city manager during the interim period. “Thaddeus spent Monday with me here at City Hall,” said Chambers, “being briefed on the city and meeting with staff. He’s smart, has a good sense of humor and has an excellent grasp of the issues facing our City. I got a very good feeling from him, and I think he will fit in well here. I look forward to continuing to be a resource for him to help with a smooth transition.”
McCormack is the son of Irish immigrants and grew up in the Whittier area. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach and a master’s degree in Political Science from California State University, Fullerton. Prior to his career in local government, McCormack worked in the private sector for a number of years with the Xerox Corporation.
“I’m honored and excited to work for the city of Lakewood,” said McCormack. “Lakewood has a great reputation for being a well-run city with a family-friendly community. I’m looking forward to contributing in every way I can to keeping Lakewood a great place to live and work.”
McCormack has played a leadership role in the Gateway region, serving as the chair of the City Managers Committee of the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, and as a member and treasurer of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments City Managers Steering Committee.
