René Bobadilla, City Manager

If you would like to contact the City Manager:

Phone: (562) 868-0511, ext. 7510

E-mail: RBobadilla@santafesprings.org

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After an extensive search process, the City of Santa Fe Springs is pleased to announce Mr. René Bobadilla as the new City Manager, making him the seventh City Manager in the City’s history since its incorporation in 1957. Mr. Bobadilla has served over 28 years in local government including almost 12 years of service to local communities as a City Manager.  He brings a wealth of experience and strong commitment to public service, making him an excellent fit for the City’s chief executive role.

Mr. Bobadilla’s extensive background in local government led him to oversee several City organizations where he has held the position of City Manager, most recently, the City of Montebello since July of 2019, Pico Rivera from 2014 to 2018, Huntington Park from 2012 to 2014, and El Monte from 2009 to 2012. During his career as a City Manager, Mr. Bobadilla has been recognized and acknowledged for his ethical and moral decisions, ability to harness enthusiasm and talents of others, identify core issues, and exploit the necessary resources available to stretch funds and achieve management objectives within municipal environments. One of his most notable achievements was when the City of Montebello was on the verge of bankruptcy; Mr. Bobadilla exercised leadership and his professional expertise to guide the City through its financial distress and restore its financial position including increasing the General Fund Reserve by over $30 million. Under his leadership, the City of Montebello has maintained a balanced budget even in the midst of the unprecedented worldwide pandemic.  His successes included rapid improvements to the City’s infrastructure, attracting many new national retailers and numerous economic development successes, developed a state awarded homeless program, substantial updates to City planning policies and processes, and improvements in public engagement and communication.

Prior to his role as a City Manager, Mr. Bobadilla served in various executive roles, where he demonstrated the ability to strengthen core municipal services through improvements in the delivery of responsive services to customers.  Mr. Bobadilla served as the Director of Economic Development and Sustainability for the City of Commerce and prior to serving as the City Manager of El Monte, he was the Director of Public Works, where he managed large capital projects.

Mr. Bobadilla is a registered civil engineer and his earlier career from 1994 to 2009 he worked in both private and public capacities directly related to engineering and management.  He continues to use his extensive engineering experience to improve public infrastructure, economic development and municipal operations.  He holds a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California State Polytechnic University.

Mr. Bobadilla expressed his excitement about joining the City of Santa Fe Springs and his commitment to upholding the City’s values of transparency, accountability, and community collaboration. He stated, “Santa Fe Springs is such a special place and I am so honored to be selected City Manager.  I am excited to support such a dedicated City Council Team and lead the City staff as we implement the Council’s vision and goals for the community.  I commit to taking the time to listen to our local residents and build a strong relationship with the entire community.”

The City of Santa Fe Springs looks forward to the positive impact Mr. Bobadilla will have on the City and its residents. His appointment marks an important milestone in the City’s ongoing commitment to ensuring efficient, responsive and outstanding services.  

If you would like to obtain additional information about the City Manager or the City Manager's Office, please call (562) 868-0511, ext. 7510.