After more than seven years as Ventura’s City Attorney, Gregory Diaz has announced his retirement, effective February 14, 2022. Diaz’s last day will be December 23, 2021.
“City Attorney Greg Diaz has had a significant impact in our organization and led the City’s legal services team with the utmost professionalism and integrity,” said Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “On behalf of the City Council, I thank him for his exemplary legal contributions that have greatly benefited our community. We wish him all the best in his retirement.”
Since joining the City in 2014, Diaz has led the City Attorney’s Office in achieving many notable accomplishments, including providing homeless shelter agreements that allowed the City to open its first permanent, City-sponsored homeless shelter in the County; and leading the Citizens Charter Review Committee in updating the Ventura’s Charter Amendment, which transitioned the City’s at-large election system to geographic district elections for Councilmembers in 2017. This substantial change to the Charter Amendment proactively avoided an expensive and time-consuming California Voting Rights Act lawsuit.
“It has been my honor to serve the City Council and the City of Ventura through many complex initiatives,” said City Attorney Greg Diaz. “One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is the work our City Attorney’s Office did during the tragic time of the 2017 Thomas Fire.”
Under Diaz’s leadership, the City Attorney’s Office recovered $8 million from Southern California Edison for Thomas Fire damages. Diaz also supported the Council-sponsored initiative, Measure O. The half-cent sales tax increase has provided vital funding to essential public safety services and increased maintenance of City facilities, roads, and sidewalks.
Diaz has had the opportunity to speak and write on various municipal law during his career, focusing the last few years on legal issues associated with emergencies and disasters. He had the honor to prepare a “Disaster Playbook” on managing legal issues during an emergency that was presented for use by both County Counsels and City Attorneys in California. For the last two years, he has served as the Chair of the City Attorneys Department of the League of California Cities Ad Hoc Emergency Response Committee.
Upon retirement, City Attorney Diaz plans to relocate and join his wife, Angela, in their new home in Tampa, Florida. He looks forward to a few months of rest and relaxation and then finding new challenges.
