|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Longtime Parks Director Derek Wolfgram has been appointed as Redwood City’s assistant city manager, according to a city announcement on Wednesday.
The appointment takes effect on May 18.
Wolfgram, otherwise famous for dedicating around 30 hours over the weekend after Thanksgiving to adorning his Candy Cane Lane home top to bottom in Christmas decorations, has served Redwood City since 2014 as Interim Assistant City Manager, Interim Human Resources Manager, Interim Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Services, and Library Director. He has also operated as the city’s Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator.
“Over the years, Derek has become the City’s Swiss Army knife,” Heisinger said. “Someone we can count on to step into complex roles, lead through transitions, and deliver results wherever he is needed most.”
During Wolfgram’s diverse tenure with the city, he has boosted public engagement at the library, such as by spearheading the Redwood City Public Library (RCPL) Listens program to understand community aspirations for the library. These efforts helped RCPL land a finalist spot for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2021. He also led a team that earned Redwood City the All-America City finalist designation for its inclusive youth initiatives in 2023.
Wolfgram managed the final two years of construction of the 45,000-square-foot Veterans Memorial Building and Senior Center, which had its grand reopening earlier this month.
As Assistant City Manager, Wolfgram will support several departments in Redwood City, including Parks, Recreation & Community Services, RCPL, Public Works Services, and homelessness response and coordination.
The new assistant city manager previously served in leadership roles at the Denver Public Library, Butte County Library and Santa Clara County Library District. Wolfgram holds a master’s in library science from Kent State University and a bachelor’s in psychology from Bowling Green State University. He also attended the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.
“Redwood City is an incredibly special place,” Wolfgram said. “The level of innovation and community collaboration across sectors is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever lived or worked.”
