PALO ALTO, CA – City Manager Ed Shikada announced today the selection of Kiely Nosé as Palo Alto’s new assistant city manager. This selection follows Nosé serving as interim assistant city manager and Chief Financial Officer (CFO)/director of Administrative Services since 2021. This internal promotion is subject to confirmation by the Palo Alto City Council on December 12. Nosé has over 14 years of local government experience including holding leadership roles in Palo Alto and the City of San Jose

“I am extremely pleased to announce this selection and look forward to working with Kiely to ensure the effectiveness of City services for the Palo Alto community,” said Ed Shikada, Palo Alto city manager. “Kiely has demonstrated strong leadership through the pandemic and her experience in managing across departments will continue to be invaluable as we support community recovery. Palo Alto is well served by her talent and commitment.”

The City’s assistant city manager provides executive level support and guidance to City departments and acts on behalf of the city manager as needed. The assistant city manager also leads citywide interdepartmental programs to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of city services. The position of assistant city manager became vacant in March 2021 upon the retirement of Monique leConge Ziesenhenne.

“I’m excited to continue working with City Manager Ed Shikada and the dedicated leadership team to support City services to the community,” said Kiely Nosé, Palo Alto interim assistant city manager and CFO. “I look forward to continuing to advance the City Council’s priorities and deliver exceptional City services to our community every day in this new role.”

Nosé has held several executive leadership roles in local government including acting as interim assistant city manager since March 2021, Palo Alto’s CFO/director of Administrative Services for over four years and the City’s director of the Office of Management and Budget for three years. Nosé’s experience includes a strong focus on government budgeting and management practices, including financial and budgeting roles with the City of San Jose for six years and OpenGov, a government sector start-up. Recently, she has been responsible for managing the City’s financials and allocation of constrained resources through the uncertainties of the pandemic as well as the most recent efforts to develop local measures K and L on the November 2022 election to ensure financial stability into the future.

Nosé holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Economics, with an emphasis in Public Policy from Santa Clara University. Nosé also completed public sector programs at American University and Stanford University as well as Leadership Palo Alto. Nosé is a member of California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO), Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), and International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Nosé is a Bay Area native and lives in San Jose, California.

The City Manager will present his appointment of Nosé at the City Council meeting on Monday, December 12, 2022. With approval of this appointment, Kiely will assume the position of assistant city manager effective immediately and a recruitment to fill the administrative services director position will begin soon. In the short-term, Nosé, will continue as both assistant city manager and CFO/Administrative Services director with the assistance of the Administrative Services Department assistant directors.

Palo Alto is a full-service Charter City with a council-manager form of government. Nosé joins City Manager Ed Shikada and Deputy City Manager Chantal Cotton Gaines in providing general management and leadership for the City organization. The seven-member City Council is elected at-large and appoint the City Manager who is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City government. The City has fourteen departments and employs over 1,000 full-time staff.

For more about the City of Palo Alto, go to www.cityofpaloalto.org

ABOUT THE CITY OF PALO ALTO

Palo Alto, known as the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley,” is home to 69,700 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Unique among city organizations, the City of Palo Alto operates a full-array of services including its own gas, electric, water, sewer, refuse and storm drainage provided at very competitive rates for its customers. The City of Palo Alto offers robust community amenities including 36 parks, 39 playgrounds, five community and youth centers, 41 miles of walking/biking trails and five libraries. The City also manages a regional airport and provides fire, police and emergency services. Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed, one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. City services and performance also receive high marks from community members in the annual citizen survey conducted by Polco (previously National Research Center).

As the global center of technology and innovation, Palo Alto is the corporate headquarters and/or research facilities for many world-class companies such as VMWare, Hewlett-Packard, and Tesla. Home to Stanford University and a top-ranked public school system, Palo Alto also features beautiful and historic residential neighborhoods, vibrant shopping and retail districts. Palo Alto has a highly educated and culturally sophisticated citizenry that is actively engaged in making a difference both locally and globally.

For more information, visit the City of Palo Alto’s website at www.cityofpaloalto.org,  or follow the City on Twitter, Facebook, Medium, Next Door and Instagram, by going to www.cityofpaloalto.org/connect.  Sign-up for City newsletters at www.cityofpaloalto.org/newslettersignup.