Juggling multiple positions and job duties the last several years, Escalon City Manager Tammy Alcantor will be leaving for a new post in Riverbank.

Thursday, Sept. 30 will be her final day on the job for Escalon. She will take over as Assistant Finance Director for the City of Riverbank. The Times will have a special ‘Q & A’ feature with Alcantor about her years of service with the City of Escalon in the Oct. 6 issue, as she wraps up her career here this week.

The news of her leaving prompted many members of the Escalon Senior Fun Bunch to meet with Alcantor this past Friday, Sept. 24 to present her with a gift of appreciation.

“She has been so supportive of our senior events and was instrumental in helping us make use of the Escalon Community Center for our monthly gatherings,” said Fun Bunch member Paula Rocha.

Mayor Ed Alves noted that he has worked with Alcantor for many years; he has served on the council for 27 years including several terms as mayor. Alcantor is currently serving as City Manager and Finance Director, along with handling many of the Human Resources and City Clerk duties as well.

“It was a monumental task when she took it on,” Alves said. “She took on the job of a couple of people and she pulled it off. I wish her well.”

Fellow council member and former mayor Robert Swift echoed the sentiment and said Alcantor handled the workload better than anyone could have anticipated.

“She’s done a hell of a job for this town,” Swift said, adding that she brought a ‘buy-in’ as well, as she was involved in many community events and school activities, having had children go through the Escalon school system.

“It’s going to be a real nice opportunity for her,” Swift said of moving in to the Finance Department in Riverbank.

For Alcantor, she said that was always the area she enjoyed the most and is eager to take on the ne role in the nearby community, just a few miles away from Escalon, a short commute.

Swift and councilman Peter Krumeich have been appointed as the committee to research ways to fill the many roles that Alcantor had taken on.

“This will be the first time in over a decade that our Finance Director and City Manager won’t be the same person,” Swift pointed out.

Temporarily, Assistant City Manager Dominique Romo will step in to the City Manager role and Claire Tyson, with a background in government accounting, has been tapped to fill the Finance Director position, also on a temporary basis.

Swift said they are also developing a plan to “parcel out” the Human Resources and City Clerk duties.

“She’s overseen a lot of big changes in town,” Swift added of Alcantor, ranging from solar panel installation at a number of locations to new water meters, lift station improvements to working with SSJID.

As far as the search effort for a permanent replacement, Swift said he and Krumeich are getting input from the various department heads and will put together a plan in the coming weeks.

He praised the work ethic and accomplishments of Alcantor in wishing her well in the future.

“She has created a sense of community, a sense of family,” he said in leading the city staff. “And she has been very good for this town.”