LAKEPORT — Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira is retiring at the end of next month, she announced this week.
Silveira came to Lakeport in 2010 after several years as the manager of Gustine, a Merced County city of comparable size. She has been Lakeport’s city manager for a decade.
“Working for the City of Lakeport for the past ten years has been the greatest job of my career,” Silveira wrote in a letter addressed to the Lakeport community and her colleagues. “With excellent City staff and community engagement, we have developed a great team. I constantly receive compliments about our accomplishments and I am proud to acknowledge our collaborative work.”
Silveira’s retirement is set for July 31.
During Silveira’s tenure as Lakeport’s top non-elected official, she saw the city through many difficulties, including a long recovery from the Great Recession, multiple major wildfires and floods, widespread power shutoffs and— most recently—the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a City and a community, we’ve been through a lot together,” she remarked.
“I extend my appreciation to the City staff, the many volunteers who have served on commissions and committees and projects, and a supportive group of Council members over the years – all of you have believed in our mission and been strong advocates for Lakeport, its residents, its businesses and its quality of life. I’ve been fortunate to work with and for all of you,” she noted.
Silveira likened her position at the city to that of an orchestra conductor, writing: “conductors add no sound to the musicians, they just lead so that the music is in unison and beautiful.”
Silveira noted that she is “looking forward to spending time with my grandkids and reconnecting with family.”
The city council will soon begin the process of appointing Silveira’s successor, and the topic is likely to be brought up at the council’s meeting next week.
It is not yet clear who will become the city’s next manager. Kevin Ingram, who was appointed Lakeport’s first-ever assistant city manager in January, is one potential candidate.
