Orinda hired two new staff members in the Planning Department, who are ready and experienced to take on the work and challenges of the city.
As of June 17, Lashun Cross is the new planning director for the City of Orinda. She brings to the table her extensive work and experience from the cities and counties of both San Francisco and County Contra Costa.
Meet Lashun Cross
Director of Planning
Replacing Drummond Buckley, Cross started at the planning department in mid-June. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, the Pinole resident came to California at age 17, “because my aunt and uncle, who did not have children, offered free room and board if I worked and attended school.”
Cross has a life partner and a 12-year-old son who loves to play chess and soccer and excels in math. Her family supports her in this new job, encouraging balancing work and friends with family time and participation in activities, such as going to the movies. “The latest request is to go to Universal Studios,” she said.
Drawn to Orinda’s ongoing economic interest in revitalization of the Village and Theatre districts, Cross applied for this position, “due to the smaller geographical area, the town feel and character of the city and its proximity to the City of Pinole.”
She has an undergraduate degree from U.C. Berkeley in landscape architecture and a master’s degree in urban planning from San Jose State University.
“Several years ago, I attended law school at John F. Kennedy with an emphasis in land use planning, yet decided that I appreciated the involvement or being proactive working with the Successor Agency and working with design, the process and the results of a project under construction,” she said.
Cross brings to Orinda her extensive past work with the Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, with over 24 years in the area of Current Planning.
This new role includes managing all planning department services, such as current and advance planning, code enforcement, housing development, building permits, supervising administrative and planning staff, coordination with public works and engineering department and the Contra Costa County Conservation and Development Building Inspection Division.
She also serves as the zoning administrator and staff liaison to the Orinda Planning Commission. So far, she’s having a good time.
“I am working with highly supportive colleagues that make each day enjoyable,” said Cross.
Ha Nguyen started her new role as senior engineer for the City of Orinda on July 1 and said she “looks forward to contributing to Orinda’s success by ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality projects.”
Meet Ha Nguyen
Senior Engineer
An Orinda resident since 2011, Nguyen took the senior engineer position on July 1, formerly held by Farah Khorashadi. She was born in Vietnam, raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and came to San Francisco for college, earning her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at San Francisco State University and becoming a California Licensed Professional Civil Engineer.
In her spare time Nguyen loves gardening and taking care of her four “girls,” Natasha, Dodo, Booper and Crow (hens). She and her husband are Orinda Rotarians and the two share a daughter, Emilie Tham.
“Emilie will be starting her freshman year at the University of the Pacific [Stockton], majoring in civil engineering. I’m pleased to see that her interest in engineering has been influenced by my own passion for the field,” she said. “It seems that our dinner table conversations about my work have inspired her to follow in my footsteps!”
With work experience that could quite literally fill a book, Nguyen left the City of Oakland’s project manager position to work for Orinda. She served Oakland for 10 years and, prior to that, worked as project manager and civil engineer for the city and county of San Francisco for 15 years.
Her most notable endeavors include project manager for the Third Street Light Rail Project; the Saint Francis Circle Rail Replacement; construction of the Church and 30th Track Replacement and her work as assistant civil engineer for the City of Oakland for seven years.
Nguyen chose Orinda for a reason.
“Orinda has a strong sense of community,” she said. “We moved here from San Francisco primarily because of the welcoming environment. It’s wonderful to know so many people in town, from my daughter’s friends and their parents to familiar faces we encounter on our walks. I’m particularly drawn to Orinda because of its strong emphasis on community involvement and its positive impact on the local area.”
Nguyen’s work in Orinda will include managing construction and professional service contacts; managing the 2024 Annual Pavement contract and On-Call Construction Management professional service contract; scoping and hiring a consultant to map the entirety of the public and private storm drain system; preparing staff council agenda reports and assisting residents with their needs, such as vacating an easement.
She sees the importance of working where she plays.
“I believe that being part of the community and actively contributing to the community creates a more fulfilling and motivating work environment,” said Nguyen.
Next month, The Orinda News will report on Linda Smith, the recently hired Orinda city manager.
