Hercules’ New Leader: Steve Duran, Soon to Be City Manager

*Mayor Myrna de Vera announced the City Council’s decision to hire Steve Duran as Hercules next city manager . Duran is scheduled to start work in Hercules in October. In his new role, he will be tasked with solving a series of serious and complex financial problems facing the city.

Below you’ll find background information as it’s gathered today on the new city manager.

7 p.m. HERCULES CITY COUNCIL ON WHY THEY SELECTED DURAN AS CITY MANAGER

From Mayor Myrna de Vera: "Right now, Hercules needs a leader who can guide the city out of our fiscal challenges by finding ways to generate revenue. (Duran's)  experience in Richmond's Community Redevelopment Agency, which helps stimulate jobs and growth, will be much needed for Hercules to rise out of our situation....Steve Duran had participated in the fiscal recovery of Richmond on 2004. He helped write legislation for SERAF relief, which the City of Hercules needs to do....Another facet that attracted Steve Duran to the Council was his local connections and relationships.... His reputation as a man of integrity and professionalism was a very important factor in our selection...I was impressed by his plans, all carefully thought out and written down, on what he plans to do during the first months in Hercules and beyond...Steve Duran gave us a sense of confidence in his demeanor and I believe he is passionate and sincere about "saving" Hercules."

"Steve Duran is that important piece of the puzzle that Hercules needs to recover. Steve brings experience at a high level department manager from Richmond. What he also brings to Hercules is the important contacts that he has developed though out his career," said Councilman Dan Romero.

Councilman William Wilkins said, "What impresses me about Mr. Duran is his West County/East Bay professional network. He is the one candidate that is extremely familiar with the challenges and issues facing Hercules and his professional background in both the private and public sector will be extremely beneficial to Hercules over the next few years. I believe that the community can establish a trust in Steve based on his coming interactions with our citizens and that is important. Steve came to our council meeting last Tuesday and stayed till the end of the meeting, even though his contract has not been signed. I have high expectations for him."

1:05 p.m. RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL ON DURAN

Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin said, "We’ll miss Steve Duran in the City of Richmond. As Community Economic Development Director, he brought many good projects forward for us. His crowning jewel was getting city government moved back here in the heart of Richmond by renovating our Gold-LEED certified Civic Center. I wish Steve much success in our neighboring city of Hercules and look forward to connecting with him in new ways."

Richmond Councilman Tom Butt said he's happy for Duran. "It's a good move for him," Butt said. "We're sorry to loose him," but due to new state laws, Richmond's redevelopment agency (Duran helps to manage the agency) might not have a future anyway, he said.

Butt said Duran's biggest accomplishment while with Richmond was managing the rehabilitation of the city's historic civic center—a $100 million project that was LEED Gold certified.

He said that it was a "little bit of a leap of faith" by the Hercules City Council to hire Duran because he hasn't served as a city manager before. But "I’ve got a feeling that Steve’s going to be okay" in his new role, Butt said.

12:10 p.m., NEWS COVERAGE (A list of stories published in recent years that reference Duran)

• Contra Costa Times coverage of Duran's appointment to Hercules City Manager position.
• A June 2011 piece by Richmond Confidential on the City of Richmond's "budget (and) policital boundaries."

• In 2009, on state's Redevelopment Agency raids
• Patch video of Duran's statements on becoming

10 a.m. BRIEF BIO

Duran comes from the City of Richmond, where he served for nine years as economic development director and executive director of the Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency.

He has also worked as a manager of downtown development at the San Jose Redevelopment Agency following a career in real estate that started in 1975.

Duran holds an associate's degree in real estate from Contra Costa College, a bachelor's in business administration from California State University at Hayward and an MBA in management from Golden Gate University. Read the full bio .