South San Francisco, CA June 28, 2022 Press Release
Ann Stillman will lead the Peninsula’s largest public works agency with responsibility for 315 miles of roads and two airports.
Mike Callagy, the County’s chief executive, today announced Stillman’s appointment as director of the County of San Mateo’s Department of Public Works. Stillman began her career with the County in 1987 and has since led numerous high-profile projects involving flood control, road improvements, watershed protection and more.
“I am thrilled Ann Stillman has accepted the job as our new Public Works director,” Callagy said. “Ann possesses the unique traits of analytic skills with a strong work ethic, while also possessing a wealth of knowledge and experience. Ann has a can-do attitude which is so critical to this role.”
With an annual budget of $219 million and more than 300 employees, the Department of Public Works provides key services that impact the lives of all 765,000 residents.
These include improving and maintaining 315 miles of County roads, overseeing the efficient operation of both the San Carlos and Half Moon Bay airports, maintaining County buildings and facilities and providing many residents in the unincorporated areas with utilities such as wastewater, streetlight and water services.
Stillman is a registered civil engineer and holds a bachelor of science in environmental resource engineering from Humboldt State University. She began her work for the County in 1987 as extra help.
She then took on a series of challenges and has held senior positions in engineering, resource protection, utilities and flood control before taking over as interim director in July 2021. She succeeds Jim Porter, who retired in 2021.
“Ann Stillman knows the history of San Mateo County and all the back stories. She is intimately familiar with the terrain of the county. I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue working with her,” said Don Horsley, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
Asked about her most significant contribution to the department, Stillman cited a long list of collaborations and partnerships. “I am proud of the work of our department and I continue to find it interesting, challenging, and rewarding,” she said.
“I would add that when I walk on the multi-use trail portion of the Lower Crystal Springs Dam Bridge, I think of the decades, obstacles, agencies, and complexities of designing, permitting, and constructing this bridge replacement project and I am very proud to have been a part of the department’s team that saw this through to completion and while I was the deputy director of the Engineering and Resource Protection Division for the department,” she said.
The Board is expected to approve her appointment at its regular meeting on July 12, 2022.
“When confronted with obstacles, Ann turns them into opportunities, which is something I greatly appreciate in a leader,” Callagy said. “But what I was most impressed with is Ann’s love of the department, her coworkers and the public she serves. I couldn’t be prouder of Ann and I know she will be an outstanding leader who brings Public Works to new levels of service.”