City clerk to retire in Thousand Oaks

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers STARTING A NEW CHAPTER—Nancy Dillon will be retiring after working in city hall for almost 30 years. Dillon witnessed many changes over the years, she said, and always appreciated the people who worked with her. She starts her new life in December. After nearly three decades with the city of Thousand Oaks, City Clerk Nancy Dillon will retire in December. Deputy Clerk Linda Lawrence will be the new city clerk.

It takes the expertise and efforts of many to run a city the size of Thousand Oaks. At the heart of such an operation is the city clerk, a title that doesn’t do justice to the key role played by the position-holder. Although Dillon was primarily a behind-the-scenes player, her many accomplishments will continue to have an effect on the city long after she leaves city hall.

Residents may be familiar with the blonde, blue-eyed Dillon, whose dependable manner is the backbone of council meetings. Seated at the center of the staff dais, Dillon calls the roll and takes the vote on agenda items. She may very well hold the record for number of city council meetings attended: more than 1,100.

Her steadfast, competent way almost makes her seem like the mom of Thousand Oaks. Her love for her job and the city are obvious. She wears a gift from employees around her neck—a gold chain and oak tree charm, the revered symbol of Thousand Oaks. Dillon’s office oversees a host of city operations, including elections; the city’s thousands of records; all committees, commissions, boards and city departments; and agendas, minutes, ordinances and resolutions.

She’s continued to come up with new ideas. Dillon spent the past two years researching city policies for an “e-manual,” a gargantuan online resource to provide city employees with easily accessible information on each department, and she created a records management system.

“My philosophy is always that there may be a better way,” Dillon said. “Just because you have procedures, that doesn’t mean you can’t come up with an idea.”

Dillon authored an employee catastrophic leave program in which more than 1,145 employees donated nearly 8,000 hours of personal vacation time to coworkers who need additional time for illness or accident. She coordinates the city’s annual charity programs that benefit groups like Many Mansions and Casa Pacifica. She’s a member of the Friends of Thousand Oaks Library and the Rotary Club, and she’s a donor to the local arts groups.

Dillon has been honored for her achievements by the City Clerks Association of California and others.

Dillon truly loves her job. She most enjoys getting to know the other 600-plus city employees. She has a staff of eight, all of whom have been with the city for 10 to 20 years, and she credits them with the success of the city clerk’s office.

“In this department you’re never bored. You have contact with each department and become knowledgeable about city operations,” Dillon said.

Leadership started early for Dillon. As the oldest of seven children, Dillon recalls having to help with baths and bedtime for her younger siblings before she could go out with friends or on dates.

A native of Illinois, Dillon moved to Pasadena with her family when she was a child. She attended UCLA, majoring in English and minoring in business administration. She also studied Latin, Spanish, French and Italian.

“I think everybody should know French,” Dillon said. “If you know French, you can travel almost anywhere.”

Dillon was skeptical when she and her husband first moved to Thousand Oaks after her husband got a job as a teacher at Thousand Oaks High School.

“At the time, I thought we were moving out into no man’s land,” Dillon said. “There were two restaurants and a bowling alley. That was the lifestyle.”

Even then, affordable housing was an issue. The couple rented an apartment in Thousand Oaks, unable to buy a home here. Later they bought in Camarillo, which eventually allowed them to purchase a fixer-upper in Thousand Oaks.

For awhile, Dillon worked for Northrop as a program statistician. She was hired by the city in 1976 for an entry level position in Human Resources. She worked her way up quickly, serving in positions that included executive assistant to the city clerk and the city manager.

Dillon was on vacation in Paris with her husband in 1982 when she found out she’d been named city clerk. She received a message at her hotel to call her boss, then-City Manager MaryJane Lazz.

“I had no clue why they were calling,” Dillon said. “All I could think was, who died? What can’t they find?”

At that time, there were no cellphones, and long distance calls couldn’t be made from the hotel. Dillon had to go to the main post office and register to call. After a wait of about four hours, Dillon called Lazz’s home, but the charges were refused by a house guest. Dillon eventually got through, finding out that the city clerk had left and that she was being offered the position.

“It never entered my head that it was this,” Dillon said. “It blew me away.”

Dillon has traveled to other California communities and says she knows how blessed Thousand Oaks residents are to have the open space, landscaping and amenities that exist in the city. Several years ago, city clerks from throughout the state attended a conference held in Westlake. Dillon recalls how overwhelmed they were at the local beauty.

“You don’t see the medians and the greenscape that we have. That’s what people rave about when they come here,” Dillon said.

City leadership runs in Dillon’s family. Last January her son, Barry Fisher, director of emergency services for Ventura County, was appointed to the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission. Dillon is extremely proud of him.

Dillon will not be idle in her retirement. She’s taken up watercolor painting, is an avid reader, plans to travel to Italy and throughout California, and would like to spend more time with her three grandchildren, including one who is a Westlake High School student.

“I’ve lost family and some very close friends just a few years older than I,” Dillon said. “It made me stop and think.”

As for the city’s future, Dillon is confident it will be a good one. “I think the city is pretty healthy,” Dillon said. “I think we’re on a good, solid, sound base.”

See related story on page 13.