Santa Rosa City Manager Maraskeshia Smith is resigning to become the next city manager of Sacramento.
Smith, who has led California’s largest city north of San Francisco since January 2022, will step down on Jan. 2, city officials said Tuesday. She informed city staff of her decision in an email, calling her time in Santa Rosa “an opportunity to serve this extraordinary city.”
Mayor Mark Stapp praised Smith as “an exceptional leader,” saying her work “elevated the services we provide to our community.”
Smith has more than 20 years of public service experience in Ohio and California.
The Santa Rosa City Council said it will soon begin the process of selecting her successor.