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Borgsdorf Makes Leadership Team Appointments

(San Jose, California)-- City Manager Del D. Borgsdorf today (4/5/2000) announced key appointments to the leadership team within the City Manager’s Office and the Office of Employee Relations.

Appointments within the City Manager’s Office include James Holgersson as Deputy City Manager and Jesús Nava as Deputy City Manager for Council Relations. Alex Gurza will become Director of Employee Relations.

"Jim Holgersson and Jesús Nava each bring strong new management experience to the City," Borgsdorf said in announcing the appointments. "They will significantly increase our leadership team’s capacity to implement Council policy priorities and better serve the community."

Holgersson brings 26 years of managerial experience to his position, including service as the City Manager in Germantown, TN (1981-1989); Kalamazoo, MI (1989-1993) and Waco, TX (1993-1997).

Since 1997, he has been the Executive Director of the Rapoport Foundation, a $70 million philanthropic organization in Waco, Texas, committed to improving the lives of people in the areas of education, cultural arts, health, community building, and democracy. He earned a Masters of Public Administration in 1974 from the University of Arkansas and a Bachelor’s degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois.

Nava has worked in City government since 1983. He has held various public sector management positions in San Antonio, Santa Barbara and Denton, Texas. He was Assistant City Manager of Laredo, Texas, from 1993 until his 1997 appointment as City Manager in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Nava received a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas.

Both Nava and Holgersson have extensive experience working with neighborhoods and community groups.

Management responsibilities within the Office of the City Manager fall into seven key areas -- City Council Relations, Neighborhoods, Public Safety, Corporate Initiatives, Information & Technology, Economic Development, and Operations. The two appointments will bring new resources to the Citywide management team.

"Jim will be focusing on managing the complex array of neighborhood services provided by various City departments," Borgsdorf added. "And Jesús will ensure a smooth flow of communications between my office and the offices of the City’s eleven elected officials."

Borgsdorf also announced the promotion of Alex Gurza as Director of Employee Relations.

A graduate of Stanford University, Gurza has been with the City since 1994, first as an analyst in the Retirement Office, before joining the Employee Relations Office in 1995. He was promoted to Assistant to the City Manager in 1999 and, since October of last year, has been Acting Manager of Employee Relations.

Gurza’s appointment became effective April 2nd. Holgersson will be joining the City in early May, while Nava will start at the end of May.

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