By Cindy Ryan

Michael McHatten, director of administrative services for the City of Madera, rides a skateboard during the opening ceremony for Ground Zero, the new skatepark in Madera.

Photo by: Wendy Alexander

In just two short years Michael McHatten, the new director of administrative services for the City of Madera, has advanced from the city's parks department to the number two spot in city government.

"He simply stood out at each phase of the selection process to be the best fit for the organization," said Madera City Administrator David Tooley. "He tends to be very focused."

Long-time business associate and friend, Chris Steele, agrees. He said McHatten is very organized and has a vision for the future of the city.

"He's doing things outside the box," Steele said. "As he gets more opportunity he could do some pretty cool stuff for Madera."

McHatten, 44, answers directly to Tooley. The director of administrative services, along with the director of community development, are new positions and part of an overall reorganization plan for the city. The two new directors alternate the responsibilities of city administrator to manage all city government obligations when Tooley is unable to do so.

"He has aspirations to be city manager one day," Tooley said.

McHatten worked for the cities of Clovis and Fresno before taking the position of director of parks and community services for the City of Madera almost two years ago. While with the parks department, he began to implement water conservation technology into the city's parks and streetscapes, according to Steele.

McHatten's new duties will entail the management of internal service departments for the city, such as finance, purchasing, information technology, the airport, human resources and the parks and community services department.

"It's a natural career path for me," McHatten said. "I plan to be here a while."

McHatten said the first month in his new position he was in "hunting and gathering mode" and he has been busy with city budgets.

"One of the larger tasks before the city is the update of the city's general plan," McHatten said, adding it could take a few years to complete it. McHatten said the biggest challenge at his new job will be to bring to fruition the Vision Madera 2025 Plan through the work and efforts of the community.

"I'm not afraid of a challenge," McHatten said.

He said he loves working for Madera.

"You can really see the impact of the projects you do in comparison to a larger city," he said.

McHatten said the transition from being a peer to a supervisor has been a little tough but has gone seamlessly. What he misses the most about his previous position is the close connection to parks and recreation acitivites. His post as the director of parks and community services has not yet been filled permanently and is performed now by Don Mencarini.

"If he hadn't done a good job at what he was doing, he never would have progressed this far," Steele said.

McHatten went to work for his uncle's landscaping company at the age of 12 and earned a degree in ornamental horticulture from California State University, Fresno.

McHatten lives in Clovis and currently has no plans to move his family to Madera.
 

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Cindy Ryan

Contributing Writer

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The Madera Tribune