Pantalion to serve as interim assistant city manager

Interim City Manager Elaine Hart has chosen Joe Pantalion, director of Watershed Protection, to serve as interim assistant city manager over the Development Services group upon the departure of Assistant City Manager Bert Lumbreras. Lumbreras’ last day with the city will be Friday, and he will start his new job as city manager of San Marcos on Monday. Pantalion has been working for the city since 1997 and has been an executive with the Watershed Protection Department since 2001. His accomplishments at the watershed department include creation of the city’s first watershed protection master plan, securing of $45 million in federal grants for the Lower Onion Creek flood mitigation and park development. As director of what was then called the Watershed Protection and Development Review Department, Pantalion managed the establishment of the city’s first one-stop shop for development review and inspection. According to a memo from Hart, Pantalion spent 10 years in the private sector prior to joining the city. Hart has appointed Mike Personett to serve as acting director of Watershed Protection. Personett has served as an assistant director in the department since 2011.