GONZALES — Gonzales City Council has appointed Carmen Gil to the position of city manager.
Gil has been with the city as Director of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships since 2020 and served as interim city manager from June 2022 to January 2023.
In her 20-plus years of experience working on projects throughout Monterey County, she has worked closely with community, public and private organizations, and local governments to implement effective policies and practices that improve systems, create efficiencies, and enhance community relations.
“Gil has a long history of success working with the Gonzales community in various capacities and has a keen ability to develop relationships that go beyond transactional to transformational,” according to the City of Gonzales in a news release.
Gil was instrumental in implementing the city’s Community Health Workers Program, which led to the partnership with the Community Foundation for Monterey County’s VIDA (Virus Integrated Distribution of Aid) program. The City of Gonzales was the first city in Monterey County to achieve a 90% vaccination rate.
Gil was also part of the team that helped Gonzales receive the national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize. Gonzales was chosen from nearly 200 applicant communities across the country and is one of five communities in the United States to receive the honor and be recognized for pursuing innovative ideas and bringing partners together to rally around a shared vision of advancing health, opportunity and equity.
Most recently, Gil led the application process for the 2023 All-America City Award that the city received from the National Civic League on June 11. Gonzales was one of 10 cities in the nation and the only city in California to receive the award this year.
Prior to joining the City of Gonzales, Gil was at the Monterey County Health Department for five years, during which she worked alongside city and county governments across the region. She helped transform communities by establishing effective partnerships through a strength-based approach.
“Gil has a solid understanding of issues communities and organizations face and brings her knowledge and expertise to support effective organizational development that lends to inclusivity, transparency and improved connectivity,” the release said.
In her role as the Health in All Policies Manager for the Monterey County Health Department, she raised over $3.5 million for programs that advanced equity and supported resident leadership and capacity building. While there, she also led the development of the Health and Wellness Element for the City of Gonzales’ General Plan. She has worked through private and public partnerships to address issues of housing, homelessness, health access and infrastructure among others.
Before working for Monterey County, Gil worked as the manager for Building Healthy Communities, a statewide initiative of The California Endowment, where she collaborated with numerous community organizations and grassroots groups to advance health and equity.
“There, she implemented numerous successful community-driven projects and effectively engaged the public in policy and decision-making opportunities,” according to the City.
She was also involved in the expansion of Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System into the Gonzales community and led the expansion of Ciclovia into the four South Monterey County communities, including Gonzales.
Gil holds a Bachelor of Arts in social work and a minor in business from San Jose State University and a master’s in public administration from the University of San Francisco. She is an active community member and currently serves on the boards of the Alliance on Aging, Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare Foundation, the Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation and the Big Sur Land Trust.
She has been a resident of Gonzales for 13 years and currently lives there with her husband and four children.
