The new city manager for La Cañada Flintridge, Daniel Jordan, is ringing in his first 100 days on the job and feels like he is fitting in.
Jordan, who grew up near LCF and attended St. Francis High School, said it’s like he never left the small-town feel.
“In some ways, I feel like I’ve never really left the community,” Jordan told the Outlook Valley Sun. “I’m lucky, and I realize it.”
This is now his third time working within the city, but now, at a whole different level.
“I worked here as an intern in the ’90s [and came to work] again in 2018,” said Jordan. “So, this is my third time. My kids have gone to school here. I’ve been on the board of St. Francis. So even though I’ve lived my entire life in Pasadena, this has been another home. So, it feels like a natural place to be for me.”
Jordan was the city’s director of finance from 2008 to 2017, during which the Station Fire became a major part of LCF history. Most recently, Jordan worked as the city manager for Duarte, and also accumulated experience in local government after working in various finance and city manager positions in Simi Valley and Westlake Village.
“I won’t make the sort of first-time city manager mistakes, of which I made daily [in Duarte],” said Jordan, adding that he’s been counting the days in his new role so far. Sitting down with the Outlook Valley Sun, he proudly noted “This is day 96.”
Though early into his days as city manager here, Jordan has focused on taking a deep dive into city matters and is practicing “active listening” to see what is important to the organizations and members of the community.
“Where are we?” Jordan asked himself to learn more about the city. “What are the things that we’ve had in the past and the present that we want to preserve? And what are our aspirations going forward?”
“There’s always this kind of movement from where you were in the past, and where you are now to where you want to go,” Jordan added. “Whether you’re a person, a city or any kind of group.”
Some of the topics that Jordan identifies as important to the city include public safety, emergency preparedness and housing and recreational space.
“You come in sort of hypothesizing about certain things, but you really have to get in and learn and analyze and figure out what are the best ways, directions to go in first and that takes time,” said Jordan.
Unlike his time in Duarte, where there were a lot of pressing issues related to homelessness and parks and recreation programs, he has been able to see many strengths in LCF.
“I don’t think I’ve worked in a community where there is such a mix of strengths, whether it’s in our staff here, whether it’s in the City Council, who are all extremely thoughtful, wise and accomplished people, [or in the community],” said Jordan.
“Where this community excels, there’s very few others like it,” he added.
The biggest perk of the job for Jordan is working in a community that he knows and cares about.
“It’s all the better when it’s in a community that you’re familiar with, that you deeply care about and has been a part of your life,” said Jordan.
He resides in Pasadena with his family, a half-mile from his childhood home. Jordan was very excited for the opportunity to work in LCF again. “I was thrilled. I still am. I feel very, very fortunate,” he said.
Starting out, Jordan harbored intentions of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a professor. Though local government ended up being a better fit, he has also gotten a taste for teaching by being an adjunct professor at USC for more than 20 years. There, he teaches public financial management and budgeting.
The city feels grateful to have Jordan too, officials said. Mayor Rick Gunter is impressed with his work ethic and background.
“I find him to be an excellent listener,” Gunter told the Outlook Valley Sun. “I find him to be a patient learner. And I find him to be very interested in learning as much about us and how we do things.”
Since Jordan is following in the footsteps of longtime City Manager Mark Alexander, there may be additional pressure, but Gunter said he believes Jordan has settled in perfectly.
“I think the fact that he responded very well to the staff and they responded well to him is one of the reasons that we haven’t had a hiccup at all,” said Gunter.
Gunter sees Jordan in his newest role as an advantage, as he can observe long-standing practices from an unbiased perspective and ask “why.”
“It’s such a pleasure to be around him and the rest of the staff that care so deeply about our town as much as I and my fellow Council members do,” said Gunter.
First published in the October 5 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
