Steve Mermell worked for the City of Pasadena for over 30 years, holding a variety of positions including City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Finance Director, as well as a variety of other management positions. Steve led several initiatives over his career including the passage of multiple voter-approved measures; development of a plan to address a $150 million unfunded pension liability; elimination of a structural deficit in the City’s general fund, and the restructuring of the Pasadena Public Health Department to eliminate deficits and improve client service.
‍
Since retiring from full-time work in 2021, Steve has been a consultant assisting local governments with strategic planning, goal setting, facilitating city manager and city attorney performance evaluations, and conducting organizational/process assessments.

Steve contributes to JGA through strategic planning, governance training, goal setting, and operational analysis that help public agencies strengthen performance and alignment. His favorite JGA values are Drive and Humility, which guide his commitment to results and continuous learning. Outside of work, Steve enjoys golfing and spending time with his pets—including a long lived aquatic turtle and a cat who joined the family during the pandemic.