Lemoore Council turns to Lemoore native Marissa Trejo as new city manager

The hiring follows at least a four-month search for a new city manager since the departure of former manager Nathan Olson.

Lemoore officials have been recruiting a permanent city manager for about four months. Over 40 applications were received during that time, and the Council conducted eight interviews.

“I am extremely pleased to be bringing to our City organization someone with the depth of experience and history of success that Marissa brings to Lemoore,” said Lemoore Mayor Patricia Matthews. “She brings proven knowledge and leadership to our city, hopefully for many years to come.”

Trejo is a lifelong and fourth-generation resident of the City of Lemoore.  She is the daughter of Debbie (Silva) Muro, the granddaughter of Doris (Avila) and Norman Silva, and the great-granddaughter of Louise (Mendes) and Cole Johnson.  She was raised in Lemoore alongside her two brothers, James and Kyle Muro.

Trejo’s mother (Debbie Muro)  is a longtime educator in Lemoore and served the school district as its superintendent.

Growing up in the Lemoore school system, Trejo (Muro) attended Mary Immaculate Queen School (MIQ), Meadow Lane Elementary School, Liberty Middle School, and Lemoore High School, graduating with the Class of 2000.  She then went on to earn an Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts from Lemoore College (formerly West Hills College Lemoore) followed by a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organizational Leadership, a Master of Science Degree in Human Resources and a Graduate-Level Certificate in Public and Non-Profit Leadership from Chapman University.

Marissa began her career in local government in 2004 as an Employment and Training Worker for Kings County. In 2006, she became a Human Resources Analyst for the City of Coalinga and was then promoted to the positions of Human Resources Manager, Human Resources Director, and City Manager.

Having served as the city manager for Coalinga since 2015, Marissa brings a wealth of knowledge and ideas to the City of Lemoore. She considers herself fiscally conservative, which is also reflected in her work, and takes her role very seriously as a steward of taxpayers’ money.

"Our role as a city is to serve the community.  That is who we work for.  I am a stickler for customer service and ensuring that residents receive the best service possible.  I look forward to connecting with everyone and helping the City grow," said Marissa.

When asked, “Why Lemoore?” Marissa responded: “It was certainly a tough decision to apply, one that I prayed and prayed about.  I love Lemoore.  It is home and always will be, but I love Coalinga, the Council, the staff, and the community.  However, I know if I leave Coalinga, it will keep moving forward.  The team in Coalinga will continue doing great things with or without me and that is a wonderful position to be in.  Lemoore has a lot of potential, and there are many opportunities to make Lemoore an even better place to work, live, and do business. And I am excited to be able to help Lemoore move forward alongside its own great Council, staff, and community.”

Marissa’s husband, Carlos, children, Abriana (27), Eliana (24), Jalen (22), Isaiah (20) and Christian (10), and granddaughter, Soleil (2) are also excited to have her closer to home.

She will begin her new position as Lemoore's City Manager on September 2, 2024, in order to fulfill her employment contract obligation of providing the City of Coalinga with a 60 day notice of resignation.