The City Council on Monday night approved the appointment of Lisa Malek-Zadeh to serve as interim finance director starting in January. Finance Director Michael Szczech announced his retirement earlier this year, effective Jan. 24, 2025.
The City said it used a professional recruitment service firm to conduct a search for Szczech’s permanent replacement but chose not to move forward with any of the applicants they interviewed. Instead, the application period will be re-opened in late January of 2025.
Malek-Zadeh served as the finance director of the City of El Cerrito and as an administrative and fiscal services manager for the City of Berkeley, in addition to a number of other relevant roles.