City hire brings experience, passion

PALMDALE — As Ronda Perez joins the staff at the City of Palmdale as assistant city manager, she brings with her a variety of municipal and economic development experience, along with something equally important: a passion for public service.

“The breadth of projects and the breadth of impact you can make” in city government, from parks to financing to roads, add up to improving quality of life for residents.

“That’s what I really am passionate about, improving quality of life,” she said.

Perez has roots in the Antelope Valley, having moved here, in 1986, when her father was transferred from St. Louis for his job with McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing).

“We’ve been out here ever since,” she said.

Although she left for school for 10 years, “that Antelope Valley pull brought me back.”

She lives in the Valley with her husband Anthony, who has more than 20

years in the US Air Force, and their two children: their 14-year-old son, Vincent, is a freshman at Paraclete High School — her own alma mater — and daughter Isabella, 12, is a student at Desert Christian School.

Municipal government was not originally in Perez’s career plans; from the time she was a child, she wanted to be in federal law enforcement. She has dual bachelor’s degrees in criminology and political science, and a master’s degree in criminal justice.

Instead, she “fell into” city government and found it to be her true niche.

“I love it. It’s my passion,” Perez said.

She began with the City of Lancaster, where she spent 14 years in various roles, beginning as a management analyst and eventually serving as parks, recreation and arts director and finally assistant city manager.

Although she may have come to the job from a different route, that can be advantageous.

“I think I look at things a little bit different than people who have been in government a long period of time,” she said. “I think a difference in perspective and backgrounds can create quite a melting pot for teams and for vision-making and working together.”

Prior to joining Palmdale in October, Perez served as executive director of Antelope Valley Economic Development and Growth Enterprise (AV EDGE) during its first year of existence. The organization was formed in 2020 by the merging of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade and the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance.

“I thought I’d try my hand at something different,” she said. Although she had done “a lot of entrepreneurial-type things” while with Lancaster, she had not worked specifically in economic development.

Her new post working with City Manager J.J. Murphy in Palmdale “was great opportunity that opened up,” Perez said.

While she enjoyed the time with AV EDGE and sees a lot of potential and momentum there, “my heart is in working in city government and giving back to the community.”

Her experience with AV EDGE was something Murphy valued in hiring Perez.

“Ronda brings a lot of energy, she brings municipal experience, but I was very interested in her experience with AV EDGE, regionally, in economic development,” he said. “If we’re looking toward the future, economic development’s going to be the driver if we’re going to diversify the economy. Her experience was important.”

“She’s already made an impact,” he said.

Perez said she brings a “business mindset” and pragmatic approach to city government.

“Cities can no longer survive on sales tax dollars and property tax dollars,” she said, so creativity is needed to find the new business model.

“I really try to encourage staff and build staff to think differently,” Perez said.

Removing barriers is also important for the path forward.

“I do not believe in red tape,” she said.

It’s an exciting time to be with the city, as it has been and continues to go through organizational changes to create a high-performing organization, Perez said.

“That’s unique for me, as well. I’m very excited to see how all that comes together,” she said.

A former Lancaster city executive in Palmdale City Hall illustrates the idea that there is more cooperation than competition between the two cities these days, as the notorious “Cactus Curtain” is giving way to greater efforts at collaboration from city leaders.

The cooperation will be beneficial in the future as the cities, working together, can have greater strength and garner more attention for their needs, Perez said.

Among the projects Perez is excited about within Palmdale is the focus on mental health, through initiatives such as the Wellbeing Lab.

“Even through the short time I’ve been here, the focus on that … it’ll be transformational,” she said.