Linda Smith, who became Orinda’s city manager in Oct. 2024, is guiding the city through early challenges including wildfire preparedness, downtown revitalization and organizational restructuring. Smith brings decades of municipal leadership and private-sector communications experience to her role as she focuses on community readiness, small business support and long-term city planning.
When Linda Smith arrived in Orinda as City Manager in October 2024, she knew the learning curve would be steep. What she didn’t anticipate was how fast it would accelerate.
“One thing that you learn about being a city manager is to expect the unexpected,” she said.
Still, the pace surprised her. Less than three months into the job, the Palisades and Eaton fires dominated headlines, followed quickly by a San Francisco Chronicle story labeling Orinda and neighboring Moraga “the next Palisades.”
Smith found herself immersed in wildfire preparedness far sooner than planned.
“I definitely thought I would have several months to get myself acclimated on these issues,” she said. Instead, wildfire mitigation, evacuation planning and community readiness became immediate priorities.
It was a baptism by fire – literal and figurative – for a leader accustomed to complexity but new to Orinda’s particular vulnerabilities. The city’s wooded hillsides and residential character require a heightened level of coordination and communication, especially when public anxiety is high. Smith’s response has been steady and methodical, emphasizing preparation over panic and clear information over noise.
Smith came to Orinda with deep experience in California municipal government. Before taking the role, she served as city manager of Dublin, where she spent 15 years in various leadership positions, including assistant city manager.
Earlier in her career, she worked in economic development roles for the cities of Brentwood and Tracy. That public-sector path was preceded by nearly a decade in private-sector communications and marketing, including work with major brands such as Levi Strauss, Visa, Bank of America and Clorox.
That communications background has shaped one of the initiatives Smith says energized her most during her first year: rethinking how Orinda talks about itself, particularly its downtown.
“Downtown Orinda hasn’t changed much physically, but there are so many great places to shop and eat,” she said. “Part of the challenge has been visibility – making sure people know what’s here and what’s happening.”
Under her leadership, the City pivoted its communications strategy to better support small businesses and bring clarity to downtown activity. The launch of a new Downtown Orinda website, along with a dining guide and expanded use of social media, was designed to create a centralized, accessible place for residents and visitors alike. Smith says early signs point to growing engagement, a small but meaningful shift in how people interact with the downtown core.
Those digital efforts are just the beginning.
Building on that momentum, Smith said the City is now turning its attention toward physical improvements that can help create a more welcoming and visually engaging downtown environment – changes guided by what residents say they want to see.
For Smith, working in Orinda has brought a different set of challenges than in larger cities. She anticipated the reality of fewer resources, both financially and in staffing, paired with a workload that doesn’t necessarily shrink with size.
“The challenge, then, becomes one of careful resource allocation,” she said.
That meant taking a hard look at the City’s organizational structure.
Some positions were realigned, certain roles eliminated and more part-time staff brought in to keep essential work moving forward.
“Those decisions are never easy or popular internally,” Smith said, “but making thoughtful organizational adjustments was necessary to position the City to meet the challenges ahead.”
While she doesn’t live in Orinda – a common arrangement for city managers – Smith said the culture of the community has stood out in ways she didn’t expect. What distinguishes Orinda, she says, is its extraordinary level of volunteerism.
“The number of nonprofits supporting everything from seniors to education and so much in between is remarkable,” she noted. It’s a deeply embedded civic culture, one she believes the City should actively support and celebrate.
As she looks toward her second year, Smith’s vision is less about personal visibility and more about institutional cohesion.
“If I am doing my job correctly, residents won’t notice me or the job I’m doing,” she said. “What they should notice instead is a City Council working together.”
She speaks highly of the current council, calling them among the most thoughtful and collegial elected officials she’s worked with. With Mayor Brandyn Iverson’s term under way and a shared focus on downtown revitalization and small business support, Smith sees her role as ensuring follow-through – advancing projects, honoring commitments and keeping the City on sound financial footing.
