Office of the City Manager

The City Manager is the Chief Executive Officer of the municipal corporation and is responsible for the daily business of City operations. The City Manager’s Office includes administration of Capital Projects, Communications, Community Outreach, Equity, and Sustainability and provides a resource for general information for South San Francisco community members.

The City Manager’s Office implements policy decisions of the City Council, provides leadership and strategic direction to the City’s department head team and organization, and ensures that initiatives and programs align with the City’s General Plan and reflect the values of our community.

The City Manager’s Office provides overall guidance to City operating departments and is responsible for the administration of City programs to ensure the delivery of high-quality services in an efficient and cost-effective manner. This includes oversight of major City-initiated projects, outreach to and involvement with community members on issues of local concern, direction of the annual budget process, and coordination of City Council agendas. Appointment of City personnel falls under the authority of the City Manager.

Laura Snideman is a veteran municipal executive with more than two decades of leadership experience across Northern California. She joined the City of South San Francisco as the City Manager in January 2026. 

To reach City Manager Laura Snideman, email laura.snideman@ssfca.gov or call the office at 650-877-8502.

Rich Lee has served as the Assistant City Manager of the City of South San Francisco since August 2023. Prior to his current role, since 2005, Rich served in various capacities with several local cities on the San Francisco Peninsula, including serving as Finance Director for the City of San Mateo (2019-2023) and the City of South San Francisco (2015-2018). In 2023, he served as President of the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO), which is one of the largest state professional organizations of government finance professionals in the United States.

Rich is a graduate of the Leadership Council of San Mateo County’s CORPS Program and Stanford’s Local Governance Summer Institute. He was recently accepted into the UpNext Program with the Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC)

Rich is a new committee member for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Assistant Chief Administrative Officer (ACAO) Committee. He will also be serving on Cal-ICMA’s Marketing and Communications Committee for 2026-2027.

In his spare time, Rich is an active freelance musician. He has performed with various musical artists such as Barbra Streisand, Kenny Loggins, Peter Cetera, Bernadette Peters, the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, and the Grammy Award-winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra. He has performed in venues throughout the Bay Area, including SFJazz, Yoshi’s, and War Memorial Opera House. His discography includes several albums with the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra.

During the pandemic, he began to learn the basic elements of audio and video engineering. He has leveraged these skills to develop award-winning music videos, promotional content for the cities of San Mateo and South San Francisco. Over the past two years, he has hosted and produced the podcasts for the City of South San Francisco and CSMFO.

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Staff

Laura Snideman
City Manager

Rich Lee
Assistant City Manager

Megan Wooley-Ousdahl
Deputy City Manager

Marie Patea
Executive Assistant to the City Manager

Angenette Lau
Communications Manager

Devin Stenhouse
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer

Jacob Gilchrist
Director of Capital Projects

Philip Vitale
Deputy Director of Capital Projects