BIO
Chris Mann serves as City Manager for the City of Yucaipa, California. With a diverse professional background which includes extensive experience in the areas of local government administration, public relations, political strategy, and real estate development and management, Chris uniquely provides public service with a private sector approach.
Appointed on January 9, 2023, Chris began his tenure as Yucaipa's City Manager effective March 1, 2023. In his previous role, as City Manager for the City of Canyon Lake, California, Chris is widely credited with professionalizing City staffing and operations, and turning around the finances of the City. Suffering from crippling budget deficits for the better part of a decade, Chris implemented popular quality of life programs that increased General Fund revenue by 31% in a four-year period without raising taxes, and taking the City’s budget from an $800,000 deficit to a surplus of more than $400,000. He also led the City’s efforts to start its own fire department. The Canyon Lake Fire Department went into service January 1, 2022, saving the City hundreds of thousands of dollars in its first year and providing faster response times than what the City experienced under its previous contract with the County of Riverside.
Chris brings a wide breadth of experience both in the public and private sectors. Chris started in public service at a young age. At 23 he was elected to the City Council in the City of Westlake Village, in Western Los Angeles County (1999). At 26 he became Mayor. He has also served on two separate elected water boards, the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (2004-2008) and the Yucaipa Valley Water District (2016-2023), where he was selected by his peers as Board President, a position he held for four consecutive years until his appointment as City Manager for the City of Yucaipa.
From 2014 to 2017, Chris worked as an Administrative Analyst and then as Deputy Chief of Staff for a member of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. In this role, he advised the Supervisor on a wide range of policy issues impacting the County’s two million residents, including the management of the County’s $5.4 billion budget and 22,000 employees.
Much of Chris’ professional experience has been in the private sector. From 2005 to 2019, he owned and operated Mann Communications, a public relations firm specializing in helping businesses interface and do business with local government, and helping local government agencies more effectively communicate with the public. The company’s client list included local small businesses, residential and commercial real estate development companies, industry associations, labor groups, cities, political action committees and non-profit organizations. Through his work with development clients, Chris has also held ownership interests in several commercial real estate development projects. Prior to forming Mann Communications, Chris worked as a Senior Account Executive at O’Reilly Public Relations, one of the largest and best-known public relations firms in the Inland Empire, where he specialized in land-use entitlement, public outreach programs and political strategy.
Chris holds bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Political Science from California Lutheran University, in Thousand Oaks, California, and has completed all required coursework for a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration. He is also a graduate of the ICMA High Performance Leadership Academy. His active professional affiliations include the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), the California City Management Foundation (CCMF) and the Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC). Chris lives in Yucaipa with his wife Annie, their three-year-old son Liam and newborn daughter Ellie, and has a 12-year-old daughter, Amelia.
Education
1999-2000
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA
1995-1999
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA
1991-1995
Chaminade College Preparatory High School
West Hills, CA
Masters in Public Policy and Administration
Completed all required coursework while running for, and then serving on, the Westlake Village City Council. Degree expected upon completion of thesis.
Bachelor of Science in Psychology/
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Served as a Psychology Department Assistant and a Writing Center Tutor. Worked at a treatment center for at-risk youth and volunteered on city council and state legislative campaigns. Graduated Cum Laude.
High School Diploma
Served as Student Body President. National Honor Society Member. Extracurricular activities included Student Government, Drama, Mock Trial and Fencing.