Concord City Manager Valerie Barone to retire in 2026 after decade-plus at the helm

Concord City Manager Valerie Barone, who has guided the city through economic downturns, redevelopment battles and the COVID-19 pandemic, will retire at the end of the fiscal year in June 2026, city officials announced.

Barone has worked in public service for more than three decades, including stints with the Peace Corps in the Philippines, the cities of Walnut Creek and Milpitas, and as Concord’s assistant city manager starting in 2008.