Chris Constantin was sure he’d enlist in the U.S. Army Airborne Rangers after receiving his master’s degree, but his past public service ended up determining his future.
The Los Gatos Town Council unanimously selected Constantin as town manager, Los Gatos’ top role, last month. Constantin will oversee about 150 town employees and serve about 33,500 residents, according to 2020 census data. He starts Nov. 4, replacing Laurel Prevetti whose last day is Friday. Assistant Town Manager Katy Nomura will temporarily fill the role during the transition.
Constantin grew up on the border of Los Gatos and San Jose along Blossom Hill Road. He has returned home to live near his 6 1/2- year-old daughter after serving close to four years as the city manager in similarly sized San Dimas in Southern California.
Constantin said he’s not in the job for recognition. He’s there to serve the public.
“You made a difference. Nobody will remember. Nobody will care, but you did it,” he told San José Spotlight. “That’s what I look forward to here.”
Mayor Mary Badame said she is impressed by his comprehensive history in local government.
“He is the real deal,” she told San José Spotlight. “His experience hit all the buttons including top priorities of public safety, finance, familiarity with the community and proximity to town allowing for hands-on experience.”
Constantin began his more than 27-year government career as a San Jose city auditor after becoming one of the youngest members elected to the West Valley-Mission Community College board of trustees at 19. During that time he earned his bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University in industrial and systems engineering, after which he entered the tech sector. He followed that with a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University.
From there he became San Diego’s assistant city auditor, where he lowered fire response times by one minute to try to save more lives.
None of this fit into his original plan of joining the military. Constantin took the advice of his father — a Vietnam War veteran — to try to land a job outside the armed forces first after his graduate degree, and if that didn’t work out, he could enlist. He found his calling though government public service.
He didn’t totally toss out the idea of public protective service. He was inspired by his brother in the police force and joined the voluntary Hayward Reserve Police Bureau, where he continues to serve as a lieutenant about 19 years later.
“My view on a challenge is God puts you in a position to challenge you to learn and you should be taking those lessons from it, good, bad and different,” Constantin said. “I’ve tended to take on challenges that are the most difficult.”
After San Diego, Constantin relocated to Chico. For about eight years, he held the positions of chief audit executive, finance director, administrative services director and assistant city manager. He reversed the city’s deficit spending, and also lived through the devastating 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, where he helped pull Chico back from the foot-deep ashes.
“Who would have thought you’re turning a city away from bankruptcy?” he told San José Spotlight. “Being centrally involved in the biggest fire in the history of California and experiencing something that most people have never seen in the United States and turning that city around and coming out of it?”
Constantin’s latest position was as San Dimas city manager. Scott Wasserman, San Dimas director of parks and recreation, collaborated with Constantin to strengthen the city’s vendor contracts. He said Constantin was the most effective city manager out of the eight he’s worked with.
“He has been a true mentor who helped me develop my administrative skills to be more effective,” Wasserman told San José Spotlight. “Chris really cares about staff and I have no doubt that he will embrace employees, the community and (town council) in Los Gatos.”
Prevetti has served as the Los Gatos town manager for about nine years. She was instrumental in the town’s 2040 general plan and is moving on to pursue nonprofit work and music, according to the Los Gatan.
“Mr. Constantin is a wonderful addition to the town team with prior experience as a city manager, local ties to Los Gatos and a strong finance background,” she told San José Spotlight.
Constantin said he’ll listen to town staff and residents before implementing his ideas to gauge community needs, but he does want to prioritize Los Gatos’ character.
“You come here for the charm, the environment, the interaction, the community, the benefit of feeling like you’re in a single-family-home town that cares about education, safety and the rest,” he said.
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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