City of South San Francisco Appoints Assistant City Manager Sharon Ranals as Permanent City Manager

March 9th, 2023 – South San Francisco, CA – Press Release

City of South San Francisco Appoints Assistant City Manager Sharon Ranals as
Permanent City Manager. Ranals long tenure with the City makes her the perfect fit for this position

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 9, 2023 – The South San Francisco City Council has appointed Sharon Ranals as the City’s permanent City Manager. Ranals has been serving as interim City Manager since late December 2022; prior to that, she served as the City’s Parks and Recreation Director. The only other woman to hold a similar post in the City was Patricia-Eve Martel, who was the Assistant City Manager in the ‘90s and served as the Acting City Manager from February 1993 to December 1994.

“What an exciting time for our City, and how appropriate that we announce permanently hiring a female City Manager during Women’s History Month,” says South San Francisco Mayor Flor Nicolas. “She has been with the City for more than 40 years, brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to this position, and is inspiring future generations of women leaders.”

Throughout her career, Sharon has been instrumental in securing grant funding and implementing several significant projects and programs, including the construction of Centennial Way and the Joseph Fernekes Recreation Building at Orange Memorial Park. As Parks and Recreation Director, Sharon led an award-winning team of over 400 full and part-time city staff, responsible for park maintenance and operation, recreation programs, services for seniors including operation of the Senior Center, pre-k and after-school programs at six school sites, and building maintenance for all city facilities.

Sharon will continue her involvement in the planning of the new Community Civic Campus, implementing ballfield and park improvements, the General Plan update, renovations at Oyster Point Marina, civic beautification and efforts to address graffiti and illegal dumping, and a host of other issues.

“Serving as interim City Manager these past few months has shown me that there is still much more to be done in the City and I am deeply honored by the trust the City Council has shown in appointing me to this position,” says newly appointed City Manager Sharon Ranals. “I am energized by our strong City Council and City Staff, and there are many exciting projects on the horizon for all our residents to enjoy, including later this year, the Grand Opening of the new Library, Parks and Recreation, and Council Chambers/Theater. I’m excited to be a part of this team and have an impact on our City’s history and future generations to come.”

Sharon holds a bachelor’s degree from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from San Francisco State University. In 2017, she was recognized by the California Association of Parks and Recreation Commissioners and Board members as the state-wide Outstanding Professional of the Year. In 2022, coworkers nominated her for the Local Government Champion award through the Institute for Local Government.

Sharon’s appointment is effective immediately.

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About the City of South San Francisco
The City of South San Francisco proudly remains The Industrial City, a reflection of its steel mill and shipbuilding past, redefined to reflect the innovative, entrepreneurial and industrious spirit which has made South San Francisco the Biotech Capital of the World, with over 250 active biotech companies and growing. A vibrant community of 66,185 residents, South San Francisco enjoys a high quality of life with an extensive public parks system, active library and learning programming, and a dynamic, engaged community making South San Francisco a great place to live, learn, work and play.

For more information about the City of South San Francisco, visit www.ssf.net.