KING CITY — King City’s Community Development Director Doreen Liberto has announced her plans to retire in spring 2026.
According to City Manager Steve Adams, who himself will retire at the end of the year, Liberto’s intent is to provide time to assist the new city manager once he or she is appointed and begins work in January, and then to allow for recruitment of her replacement.
“King City has been fortunate to have someone with Doreen’s level of experience and expertise to oversee the Community Development operation,” stated Adams in a news release Dec. 1. “She has brought to the job a high level of professionalism and dedication to the well-being of the community. She is a pleasure to work with and will be missed.”
Liberto has served as the community development director for 20 years, including both as a private consultant under contract from 2005 to 2023 and the past two years as a full-time in-house employee. Prior to that, she worked as a consultant on city projects for two years.
She has been responsible for a long list of accomplishments, including updates to the Housing and other General Plan elements, processing major projects — such as the Mills Ranch and Arboleda subdivisions and Downtown Addition Specific Plan — and development of the plan for the Multimodal Transit Center and Amtrak stop.
Adams noted that Liberto was particularly instrumental in helping to provide professional planning services to the City of King at a time when it was experiencing a financial crisis and could no longer afford a full-time Community Development staff.
“Serving King City has been one of the great privileges and highlights of my career. I am grateful for what we’ve achieved together and for the support and dedication shown throughout the years,” Liberto said. “As I step into the next chapter of my life, I do so with confidence that the city’s future is brighter than ever. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to its growth and progress.”
