Rebekah Kramer promoted to Menifee Deputy City Manager

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The staff member who filled in for Armando Villa when the City Manager was on paid administrative leave has been named Deputy City Manager for the City of Menifee.

Rebakah Kramer, who previously filled the role of Assistant to the City Manager, brings over 25 years of public and private sector management experience, according to a City news release. She will be No. 3 in the leadership chain behind Villa and Bryan Jones, who was hired as Assistant City Manager in June.

Kramer replaces Jonathan Nicks, who served as Deputy City Manager and Director of Community Services before he left the position last month to take a job as Assistant City Manager for the City of Indio. Kramer will also fill the dual role of Director of Community Services, will provide oversight to the City Clerk Department, and will manage “ongoing Citywide special projects and operations.”

In October 2023, Kramer was selected by the City Council to serve as interim City Manager when Villa and Assistant City Manager Rochelle Clayton were placed on paid administrative leave “during an internal personnel investigation.” Villa was eventually reinstated in February. Clayton left the City in April to become Deputy City Manager for the City of San Bernardino.

Although three top City administrators (Clayton, Nicks and Economic Development Director Gina Gonzalez) have left the City of Menifee since the “internal investigation”, no explanation has ever been given for the actions that were taken.

Kramer previously served as Assistant City Manager for the City of San Bernardino.

“Rebekah possesses exceptional communication, management, and analytical skills, and is dedicated and committed to our organization,” said Villa in a news release. “She has a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge that will be instrumental in helping us to carry out the mission and vision of our City Council.”

“Serving the people of Menifee has been a tremendous honor and I look forward to continuing that service as Deputy City Manager,” said Kramer. “I am thrilled to be part of the dedicated and passionate team here in Menifee that continues to give their time, talent, and hearts to deliver exceptional programs and services that further strengthen the quality of life for our community.”