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Berkeley City Manager Christine Daniel today announced that she is resigning to take a job as an assistant city manager in Oakland. 

She submitted the following letter to Mayor Tom Bates and the Berkeley City Council: 

"After much consideration I am submitting my resignation from the City of Berkeley, effective July 24, 2015. It has been an honor to have served as your City Manager for the last three and one-half years, and to have spent 15 years of my professional career with this very special community. I am leaving to take the position of Assistant City Administrator with the City of Oakland.

"I want to express my appreciation to Mayor Bates and every member of the City Council, each of whom serve Berkeley with deep commitment. We are fortunate to have such an engaged, thoughtful City Council who are devoted to this community and are willing to address the tough issues facing cities today.  

"Berkeley is filled with creative, passionate people who are not afraid to try something new or to challenge conventional wisdom, while at the same time remaining committed to preserving the unique character of this wonderful place. It has been a pleasure to work with so many. 

"I am grateful to all of the employees of the City of Berkeley I have worked alongside over the years; they are a talented , enthusiastic and courageous group of people. I cannot thank them enough for the excellent work they do. 

"Public service is challenging;Berkeley employees are outstanding. 

"Finally, I want to thank the executive leadership team, especially our Deputy City 1 Manager Dee Williams-Ridley. Each of them holds a special place in my heart. They are a brilliant, dedicated group who I am confident will continue to lead the organization exceptionally well. 

"The news that Berkeley City Manager Christine Daniel is leaving to become Assistant City Administrator in Oakland means that Berkeley will be losing a highly valued, dedicated public servant.  

“But while I’m disappointed for Berkeley’s sake, I want to congratulate Ms. Daniel and am happy that Oakland will be gaining one of the most capable civic administrators I’ve had the pleasure to work with. And I am glad that Ms. Daniel will have the opportunity to apply her skills to new challenges. 

“It has been a great pleasure to work with Ms. Daniel, and I will miss her keen intelligence and extraordinary dedication and perseverance, not to mention her ability to juggle an astonishing number of complex issues and initiatives simultaneously. 

“She took the helm as City Manager in November of 2011, and during her tenure, Berkeley has enjoyed remarkable accomplishments. It’s not easy being the chief administrator of one of the most proactive City governments in the nation. Ms. Daniel met the challenge head-on and has served as an effective partner with the City Council in helping us meet the complex demands of an extraordinary city. 

“The progress that we see in Berkeley today didn’t happen by accident. Ms. Daniel played an important role in helping to foster our thriving Downtown and the burgeoning spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that animates Berkeley as a leader in technology, arts and culture, artisan food and beverages, and progressive policies aimed at helping those in need, providing equal opportunity for all and protecting the welfare of each individual and the planet as a whole. 

“I will miss her service in Berkeley, and I wish her well in her new role in Oakland.”