Concord Taps New City Manager 'Blindsided' By Firing

CONCORD, CA — Concord officials are preparing to vote on whether to hand the job of chief administrator to a longtime public finance executive whose abrupt removal from another county government still fuels legal and political fallout.

The Concord City Council will consider appointing Jerome Wilverding on May 12 as the city searches for a successor to retiring City Manager Valerie Barone, who plans to step down in June after years leading the city’s operations.

Wilverding brings more than two decades of East Bay management experience, including work in Concord and Walnut Creek, along with a lengthy career overseeing public finance and government operations, according to a news release.

Since entering local government in 2010, he served as chief accountant for Contra Costa County, later winning election as auditor-controller in San Joaquin County before securing appointment as that county's administrator in 2021.

In that role, Wilverding managed a $2.9 billion county government with about 8,000 employees and oversight of 20 departments. County officials credited him with directing day-to-day operations during a turbulent period for local government finances and services.

But his tenure ended suddenly on March 12, 2024, when the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to place him on administrative leave pending termination. Board Chairman Miguel Villapudua cast the lone dissenting vote, according to news reports.

Villapudua insisted the move did not stem from Wilverding’s performance. “We decided as a board to go in a new direction,” Villapudua later told reporters, adding that the action was unrelated to Wilverding’s job performance.

Vice Chair Paul Canepa defended the decision in a county statement. “While Mr. Wilverding has played a vital and important role in San Joaquin County, the decision of this board signals that it is time for a new direction and new leadership,” Canepa said.

Villapudua publicly praised Wilverding despite opposing the board’s action. “Jay Wilverding has been an enormous asset to San Joaquin County,” Villapudua said in a statement. “I want to express our incredible respect for Mr. Wilverding as a person and as a public servant.”

Wilverding later said he felt “blindsided” by the decision. His removal came during a closed-session annual performance review. Under his contract, supervisors could terminate the county administrator with a 30-day notification period and without cause. His most recent contract, signed in February 2022, paid an annual salary of $365,801.80.

Whistleblower litigation against San Joaquin County tied to the dismissal is still active, casting an unusual backdrop over Concord’s pending hiring decision.

City officials hired the firm of Bob Murray & Associates for the nationwide recruitment that ran between late January through March 1. A recruiter declined to respond to questions about the circumstances of Wilverding's recruitment, including whether the situation is unusual.

Concord officials could not be immediately reached for questions.

Councilmembers interviewed finalists in April before advancing Wilverding’s contract for consideration, according to the news statement.