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In his first weeks as Redwood City’s new manager, Patrick Heisinger has had to adjust to a simple but jarring reality: everything now runs through his office.
Just months ago, Heisinger was assistant city manager, a role that focused on land use, housing and development. Now, police, fire, parks and nearly every major city department — “everything” as he described it — reports to his office.
Known around City Hall for sporting stylish tennis shoes below business attire, a habit that even his predecessor, Melissa Stevenson Diaz, picked up, Heisinger brings a relaxed style to the role.
In late February, Heisinger took the Redwood City Pulse behind the scenes of his new job, from his minimalist office design to his daily tasks to his personal experiences with the affordable housing system, and more. At the center of his new priorities is streamlining operations for the departments he oversees.
Inside the office of the new city manager, the walls are still mostly empty, and the desk is tidy by circumstance, not design.
The space, he acknowledged, is “boring.” The décor, he said, “will come.”
For now, Heisinger is focused on getting up to speed.
On most days, Heisinger arrives before 7 a.m. using the quiet hour and a half to catch up on emails and desk work. “Once 9 hits, this place is bustling with people coming in, the phone’s going off the hook, the emails are flying in,” he said.
That pace reflects a broader shift in responsibility.
As assistant city manager, Heisinger was able to focus deeply on a defined set of issues, including planning, housing and economic development. In his new role, he said, the scope is far wider.
“What’s different? … I would say everything,” Heisinger said.
Departments that once operated outside his day-to-day oversight now fall under his purview, requiring him to step back from the details and think more broadly about how to spend his time.
Using land use work as an example, he said the shift has changed how he approaches his regular responsibilities.
“You go from being able to get in the weeds on everything in land use to now you have to really step back and think about how you invest your time on a day-to-day basis, or else you get stretched way too thin,” he said.
A ‘titan in the industry’
To capture the spirit of his transition, Heisinger reflected on his relationship with Stevenson Diaz, who he called “a titan in the industry.” Right around the time he was sworn in, Heisinger said his role as assistant city manager was centered on making Stevenson Diaz’s job easier.
“It was like, ‘OK, relax, breathe,’” Heisinger said. “And then, you know, just get to work.”
To transition effectively, he has prioritized meeting with department officials and community members in his first couple of months to better understand operations and build relationships.
“I really see a city manager’s role as to try to clear as much red tape as possible for departments,” he said.
While Heisinger said it can be challenging to step away from a former role, in his case, assistant city manager, it’s prompted him to reflect on his leadership style, particularly whether he is a “trusting leader,” and the importance of allowing others to “step up.”
Before joining Redwood City, Heisinger served as the interim city manager for East Palo Alto, which required managing over 100 employees and a $41.7 million annual operating budget.
He also led through major emergencies, including 2022 shooting at Jack Farrell Park, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, when folks were encouraged to spend time at parks, and two years after the murder of George Floyd, when civic unrest was high.
Duties, then and now
Heisinger described his role at the time as bringing calm and stability while working closely with public safety officials and the community.
As interim city manager, he partnered closely with the police chief to communicate with residents and assess how to make the park safer while the investigation was ongoing.
“It just prepares you to know that if things go south, you have the coping skills to handle it,” Heisinger said.
He added that navigating those situations requires relying on others.
“You have to ask for help from your team. You have to bring people in,” he said.
As he moved through those experiences, Heisinger said they helped build his confidence in handling difficult situations and reinforced his decision to work in public service.
Heisinger has managed projects for public agencies and nonprofits in California for two decades, holding executive roles with the City of San Jose, the Santa Clara Housing Authority and the County of Santa Cruz. Heisinger also earned a master’s in public administration from San Jose State University and a master’s in education and counseling from the University of Redlands.
The new city manager grew up in Santa Cruz, through the affordable housing system, which seeded his career as a nonprofit housing developer and prompted his sense that permanent supportive housing is the best way to address the affordability and homelessness crises.
“A lot of homeless housing is really balancing the needs of the individuals and the needs of business leaders and residents,” he said.
Heisinger sees a lot of value in partnering with San Mateo County to advance that work, noting the county has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Redwood City in recent years for affordable housing.
Public trust is a key priority, he said, and one he plans to build through transparency, inquiry tracking, overcommunication, and responsiveness. He also sees great value in giving the community “a heads up” through different channels, through social media and community meetings.
“I think sometimes folks just think that city managers are like CEOs, like the Wizard of Oz,” Heisinger said, about the perceived invisible power city managers wield.
However, for mid-size and smaller cities, he said, city management writes their own staff reports and will “get in the trenches” with staff. This includes tending to a “frustrated person at the counter” of the city office, unlike in a really big city that has multiple city managers and assistant city managers.
“We try to communicate with everybody,” Heisinger said. “and it really does build equity and trust.”
