HAGA CLIC AQUÍ PARA ESPAÑOL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2024 — The City of Petaluma is proud to announce that lifelong Petaluma resident Gina Benedetti-Petnic will be taking the lead as interim Director of Public Works & Utilities (PW&U) following the recent departure of Christopher Bolt, who resigned to take a new position as the Director of Engineering and Operations at Stanford University. We are grateful for Christopher’s efforts and leadership during his two and half years with the City, and we wish him the very best in his new position.
Gina joined our team in 2018 as the City Engineer and was promoted to the Assistant Director of Public Works and Utilities in 2020, where she helped guide and manage significant City projects including the reconstruction of N. McDowell Blvd., the upcoming Lucchesi Skatepark, and many more highly impactful projects around town. Prior to joining the City, Gina founded her own engineering firm, managed structural engineering projects with CSW/Stuber-Stroeh Engineering, and more recently managed large commercial construction projects in the north bay with Devcon Construction.
“As a lifelong Petaluman with deep roots in this community, I can think of no better way to show my love for Petaluma than to lend my skills and experience to supporting projects that touch the lives of so many who live here.” Gina explains, “Engineering has always been a passion as it is a very hands-on way of creating a better experience for communities. I am honored to do this work in this city I care so deeply about.”
The PW&U department is responsible for implementing a nearly $500 million five-year Capital Improvement Program that includes building and maintenance of City infrastructure including our streets, facilities, water and recycled water, airport, marina, transit, and more. By managing, maintaining, and constructing various critical elements of our infrastructure, our PW&U Department keeps our city and community running smoothly. We are grateful to have Gina at the helm during this time of transition. The City is in the process of launching a national search for a permanent director.
To reach our PW&U department, email [email protected] or call (707) 778-4303. To learn more about the work of our PW&U team, please sign up to receive our Community Update emails (cityofpetaluma.org/subscribe) and follow us on social media to stay informed about all the exciting projects upcoming and currently underway.
To report an issue to the Public Works & Utilities Department, visit https://cityofpetaluma.org/issues/ or enter service requests on our Engage Petaluma app. To download, please go to: enter requests for service and be notified of status updates by downloading our app engagEPetaluma.
For the iPhone or iPad app on iTunes, search for “engagEPetaluma” or click: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/engagepetaluma/id990023932
For android-based devices, search for “engagEPetaluma” or click: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.publicstuff.petaluma