Veteran public administrator from New Mexico brings more than 25 years of government leadership experience
Morro Bay will start the new year with a new leader after the City Council selected a New Mexico man as its new city manager.
The city announced Dec. 10 that the council had picked John Craig to be the new full-time city manager, replacing Interim City Manager Andrea Lueker. Craig will take over the full-time spot after a split City Council fired former City Manager Yvonne Kimball earlier this year.
In a news release, HR Director Rachael Hendricks said Craig has more than 25 years “of leadership experience in city and county government including roles in financial management, infrastructure planning and organizational leadership.”
The council is slated to finalize Craig’s hiring at its Jan. 13 meeting. At that time, the details of his contract will be announced as well, including the extensive benefits package offered by the city.
He will start at the bottom of the salary schedule, but at an amount that was considerably elevated last August, when the City Council voted to up the salary range for the city manager position by some $20,000 a year. Hendricks said that was done to make the job more attractive to potential applicants.
“John Craig will start at Step 1 of the 5-step salary range, which is $240,777 annually,” Hendricks said. That number used to be the top level of the salary range before the Council increased it.
He’s held a lot of mid- and upper-level positions in several states from coast to coast.
Craig earned a Master’s degree in public policy administration from Columbia University, according to Hendricks’ news release. He’s worked as city manager of Barre, Vermont; county manager of Talbot County, Maryland; deputy city manager of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, assistant county administrator of Mono County, California; and deputy director of general services in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Most recently he was deputy county manager for Los Alamos County, New Mexico.
Hendricks said in Los Alamos County “he oversaw finance, IT, broadband, and community services and played a central role in delivering a $35 million countywide broadband expansion that reached every home in the community.”
Mayor Carla Wixom welcomed the new hire. “We are happy to welcome John Craig as the new city manager of Morro Bay,” Mayor Wixom said. “With John’s extensive experience and commitment to community engagement, I am confident that he will lead our city with integrity and vision. Together, we will work to enhance the quality of life for our residents and honor the unique spirit of Morro Bay.”
Craig said he was attracted to Morro Bay by the natural beauty, a strong sense of identity, and the clear passion residents and staff have for their community, according to the news release.
He said his experience with long financial range planning, infrastructure projects, and “collaborative problem-solving aligns closely with Morro Bay’s current priorities and ongoing initiatives,” Hendricks said.
“I am honored to join Morro Bay, and grateful for the trust the City Council and community have placed in me,” Craig said. “My goal is to listen first, learn quickly, and work together to support the Council’s goals and maintain the high-quality services that reflect Morro Bay’s values.”
Craig added that he feels most at home in places “that value nature, history, and a strong sense of place,” which Hendricks said he sees throughout Morro Bay.
As for his off time, Craig enjoys hiking nature trails and visiting natural areas, and “expanding his rock-tumbling collection.” Morro Bay and the surrounding Estero Bay Area have plenty of those, as well the rest of SLO County.
Though this is mostly Dodger country, Craig is reportedly a fan of the Kansas City Royals, and jokes that being a Royals fan “requires equal parts optimism and patience.”
Craig is married to wife Jennifer and has a daughter, Harper, 19, who attends the University of Oregon, and Sabine, a junior in high school.
Craig will be the full-time replacement for Kimball, and picks up the mantle from Lueker, who was herself a former Morro Bay city manager before serving as the interim for the position. She had worked her way up the ladder with the city, serving as recreation and Parks Director, and assistant city manager before getting the top job, which she held for about eight years.
But she was fired in 2013 along with former City Attorney Rob Schultz by a former City Council. Ironically, after the City Council in late 2024 decided to cancel its contract with a law firm, Schultz came out of retirement to fill in as interim city attorney.
Lueker also came out of retirement to fill in while the search was conducted for a new permanent manager.
The City Council used a headhunter firm, Peckham & McKenney, to lead the job search for a city manager. They apparently got a lot of interest.
Hendricks said, “The search drew candidates from across the nation. The City Council considered several highly qualified individuals and incorporated the results of the Community Survey into their decision-making process.” Peckham & McKenney conducted an online survey to see what qualities residents wanted in a city manager, a tool that’s been used in past job searches.
Craig rose to the top of the pool and was picked “based on his extensive experience, leadership approach, and alignment with Morro Bay’s priorities,” Hendricks said.
Craig is the third new hire in a leadership role that the city has made in the past few months. In August, the council hired Brian Stack as the new city attorney, and in September, Public Works Director Greg Kwolek hired Nate Stong as the new city engineer.
Stack, a 2008 graduate from Cal Poly, and 2011 grad of Loyola Law School. He came to Morro Bay out of the SLO County Counsel’s Office, where he’d been a deputy county counsel since 2017.
Stong is another Cal Poly grad that has a long list of experience in the private and government sectors, including stints with San Luis Obispo, Placerville, Pismo Beach, and SLO County.
Feature Image: John Craig is slated to become the new Morro Bay city manager at the City Council’s Jan. 13 meeting, when his contract will be on the agenda for formal approval. Photo courtesy City of Morro Bay
