Craig Whittom

Craig Whittom provides advice and support in the areas of project management, fiscal sustainability coaching and labor relations. He is a solution-oriented management professional, with significant experience in staff development, performance-based management and problem solving with limited resources. Craig is skilled at negotiations and has experience leading teams providing a variety of municipal functions including economic and community development, information technology, affordable housing programs, asset management, city clerk functions, public information and code enforcement. As a program manager, department head and Assistant City Manager during his 31-year public sector career, Craig supported the development of key staff, led successful negotiations, leveraged City assets, supported technological enhancements to City processes and facilitated the resolution of complex problems.

Recently, Craig has provided consulting services to the Town of Fairfax, City of Lathrop and Ironhouse Sanitary District. In Fairfax, he was the town’s project manager working with a developer (Resources for Community Development) during the successful entitlement of an affordable senior housing development.  He also provided support to the Town Manager on building and planning policy issues.  As part of an MRG team, Craig provided budget and negotiations support to the City of Lathrop in the negotiation of a law enforcement services agreement with the City of Tracy.  Craig has assisted the Ironhouse Sanitary District to improve the financial performance of a 3,500-acre district-owned island in the San Joaquin River Delta.

Prior to affiliating with MRG, Craig held key management positions with the City of Vallejo and the City of Fremont. As Assistant City Manager with the City of Vallejo from 2007-2016, Craig was a key member of a management team that lead the City through the Chapter 9 bankruptcy process. He was the lead staff representative negotiating restructured contracts with labor groups during the bankruptcy process and thereafter. During his municipal career he was responsible for developing policy guidance for City Councils regarding financial, labor and policy decision-making. He managed ballot measure education campaigns, regularly served as Acting City Manager and supported enhanced City Council agenda processes. Craig has significant experience facilitating closed sessions and public meetings, helping develop City Council and staff performance-based goals and objectives and engaging with print and television media contacts. He understands the importance of ensuring projects are adequately planned, project schedules are met and policy objectives are consistent with those of the City Council and City Manager.

Prior to his Bay Area program and policy experience, Craig earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Economics and Public Policy from Duke University in 1983 and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Public Policy in 1985.