By Lookout Staff

December 8, 2010 – Pasadena’s Director of Public Works, Martin Pastucha, has been hired to fill the same post in Santa Monica, City Manager Rod Gould announced Tuesday.

Martin, who will be introduced by Gould at the January 25 Council meeting, will replace acting director Susan Cline. Lee Swain held the post before becoming Santa Monica's city engineer.

“Martin Pastucha is a gifted operational manager and consummate team player,” Gould said. “He has a wide breadth of experience ranging from overseeing large multi-year capital projects as well operations experience in maintenance of streets, sewers, parks, sold waste and fleet management.

“He is known for being innovative, solution oriented and highly supportive of his colleagues so that successful outcomes are achieved,” Gould said.

Pastucha will make $198,798 in his new job, where he will oversee 400 employees and an annual budget of more than $66 million used to provide essential services. They include water resources, architecture services, civil engineering, resource recovery and recycling, cemetery, street maintenance, fleet services, facilities management and custodial services.

Public Works also oversees the City’s capital project budget of between $152 million and $600 million through 2013.

The appointment follows a nationwide recruitment that attracted more than 50 candidates and interviews with 5 finalists over the past month.

Pastucha is known for “establishing performance measures and productivity enhancements so that the operations under his guidance achieved high marks for accountability and quality service,” City officials said.

Before becoming Director of Public Works of Pasadena, Martin was Public Works Director of La Habra where he oversaw engineering, traffic engineering, water and sewer operations, parks and fleet.

He also served as Field Services Manager for the Tustin Public Works Department; Public Works Operations Manager and Integrated Waste Manager for Upland, California.

Pastucha received a Master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino. He and his wife have two grown children.