Paul Buddenhagen set to return as Berkeley city manager
Buddenhagen was a top deputy in Berkeley before he left to become Emeryville city manager in January 2023.
Paul Buddenhagen is set to become Berkeley's city manager, replacing Dee Williams-Ridley after she steps down.
Williams-Ridley announced her resignation earlier this month, although it won't be effective until July.
Buddenhagen was one of her top deputies when he left to become Emeryville city manager in January 2023.
The Berkeley City Council is slated to approve Buddenhagen's appointment as part of its June 4 consent calendar.
According to the council item, Buddenhagen won't take the reins as Berkeley city manager until Sept. 16. He'll have an annual salary of about $402,000.
In the meantime, Deputy City Manager LaTanya Bellow will fill the top spot on an interim basis, according to the June 4 agenda.
Before going to Emeryville, Buddenhagen worked in Berkeley for seven years, initially as the director of Health, Housing and Community Services.
He quickly rose to the deputy city manager position and was beloved by his staff.
During his farewell party in December 2022, many people wrote poems to honor Buddenhagen and offer their appreciation to him.
The city is saying goodbye tonight to Deputy City Manager Paul Buddenhagen, who will soon become Emeryville city manager. All of these folks pictured just wrote and read poems to honor Paul to many more of us who are gathered to celebrate him tonight. #berkmtg pic.twitter.com/lZZXLtpl5x
— The Berkeley Scanner (@BerkeleyScanner) December 16, 2022
Buddenhagen was heavily involved in helping the city navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cover your nose and mouth when you go out, but leave medical grade masks for those who need them.
— City of Berkeley (@CityofBerkeley) April 4, 2020
Use materials from around your home, as our Emergency Operations Center Director and Deputy City Manager Paul Buddenhagen does here. We'd love to see your face covering fashion too! pic.twitter.com/f6IXvWRIUl
He has a bachelor's in psychology from Macalester College in Minnesota and a master's in social work from UC Berkeley, according to his LinkedIn page.
Buddenhagen has lived in Oakland for more than two decades.
