Menifee City Leadership Team Become “Gamechangers” as First City Executive Team to Become Smart City Certified

The City of Menifee is setting the stage for innovation as the City’s Executive Team recently became the first city in Southwest Riverside County, and possibly California, to be certified in “Leading Smart Communities”, an integral piece in building a solid foundation for Menifee’s Smart City Initiative. The leadership team was professionally certified December 2021 through Pepperdine University and Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership’s Leading Smart Communities program.

The Menifee City Council’s Strategic Visioning for the city is to become an official Smart City. Following the City Council’s vision, the City of Menifee officially awarded the Request for Proposals (RFP) to Magellan Advisors in December 2021 to lead the first Broadband and Smart Cities Masterplan development. The “Smart Cities” initiative seeks to improve the delivery of city services with community-led solutions by tackling key challenges such as traffic mitigation, combating crime (including enhancing cyber security), and fostering economic growth. This place-based approach on local government focuses on the unique needs of each community, demanding not only the understanding of available and future tech tools but headed by a leadership mindset that can encourage innovation in environments not known for experimentation.

Prior to the executive team receiving this milestone certification and the Menifee’s Smart City Master Plan development, the City implemented numerous elements in the Smart City Initiative including hiring the first Chief Information Officer to oversee Geographic Information Systems (GIS), cybersecurity, public safety data, the communication systems, as well as future Smart City and Broadband programming, which are intertwined elements of a holistic approach to technological development in the city.

Menifee City Manager Armando G. Villa shared his enthusiasm with his Executive Team’s momentous certifications, “We highly value innovation, and together we are focusing on cutting-edge technology to improve not only our resident’s quality of life but the way we do business, as well as set the table for the jobs of tomorrow to locate in Menifee. I want to thank the city’s Executive Team for their continued efforts in the development and evolution of Menifee’s Smart City Initiative, which ultimately will continue to develop Menifee into a safe, thriving, and premier place to be.”

The City of Menifee is a dynamic and fast-growing organization, much like the community it serves. To learn more about Menifee’s Smart Cities Initiatives and Master Plan development, please contact Ron Puccinelli at rpuccinelli@cityofmenifee.us.