Mary Gourley is (finally!) the official city manager of Sebastopol
A long campaign to convince her to accept the position of city manager pays off
Last night, the Sebastopol City Council unanimously approved a three-year employment agreement making Mary Gourley the city’s official city manager. Gourley became the “acting city manager” in April 2025 after the city council parted ways with then City Manager Don Schwartz. Four months later, in July 2025, she was named “interim city manager.”
There has been an ongoing, not-so-secret campaign by council members and various residents to convince Gourley to accept the permanent city manager position. When it was first suggested last year, Gourley initially turned the position down, but eventually she was won over. Why did she change her mind?
“I think a lot of it was because as the time went on, we were doing the job,” she said. “But also I had community members and council members and staff reach out to me as well. And so there was so much support to do it, it just made sense to just say, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.’”
In July of last year, the council budgeted $35,000 for the recruitment of a new city manager. As the council worked over months to persuade Gourley to accept the position, none of that money was spent. As Vice Mayor Maurer said last night, “Since we have the best, why do we need to search?”
Gourley, who did not go to college, worked her way up the ladder. After attending a Catholic high school, Gourley began her career as an office clerk (a civilian position) for the Department of the Army at the Presidio in San Francisco, where she worked from 1982 to 1995. She joined Sebastopol’s city government in 1995 as a clerk for public works, planning and engineering. She has been Sebastopol’s City Clerk since 2006 and the city’s assistant city manager since 2016.
Gourley, an ardent devotee of professional development, has a Master Municipal Clerk certification from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, a nonprofit professional association that promotes professional development for municipal employees through conferences and online education.
She was named California’s 2019 City Clerk of the Year by the City Clerks Association of California.
Since last April, she has been doing all three jobs—city clerk, assistant city manager, and acting/interim/now permanent city manager.
Interim City Planning Director Jane Riley, who has known and worked with Gourley since the mid-1990s, said during public comment, “No one knows more about this city or has worked harder for this city for the past 30-plus years. I’ve worked with Mary under a number of different city managers in the city, and she’s the best one you’ve had yet and will be the best one in the future…I am so impressed with Mary’s leadership skills. It is an absolute joy to work in a place where my work is valued and appreciated every day. I’m not telling you she’s an easy boss. She’s not. She’s tough. She questions everything for the public good, and she’s very fair. Appointing her as city manager is a great move.”
Councilmembers were equally effusive.
Smiling broadly, Vice Mayor Sandra Maurer said, “This is such an exciting moment. I’m so grateful for Mary, for your willingness to step into this position. This is a long time coming…You’re just very, very professional. And I just think the way that you were the city clerk, I always thought you were just stellar. You’re just an amazing person, and you’re bringing those same qualities to this position as city manager.”
Councilmember Neysa Hinton said, “We’ve worked together 10 years now, and when you were the City Clerk of the Year for California—no surprise—back in 2019, we would have hired you sooner, but it took this long for you to say yes. So anyway, thrilled about it, and yes, definitely the best choice.”
“When you know, you know—and we do,” Councilmember Phill Carter said. “Thank you for stepping up. I appreciate it so, so much.”
Zollman echoed these comments.
Before making the motion to approve Gourley’s contract as city manager, Mayor Jill McLewis said, “I’m a little choked up, just because life is so precious and I just truly appreciate you.”
After the meeting, Gourley expressed her gratitude for her appointment as city manager in her typical modest fashion: “This is a community that’s really wonderful to work for, and this council is great to work for,” she said. “I couldn’t honestly be more blessed than to have spent 30 years here, and then to have this appointment—I’m really grateful, really appreciative.”
The Sebastopol Times asked Gourley this morning whether she will continue to juggle all three positions—city clerk, assistant city manager and city manager. Probably not, she said.
“I will be bringing forward job descriptions for Council review next month for the City Clerk position,” she said. “In the meantime, I am continuing to evaluate next steps regarding the Assistant City Manager position.”
