Kenneth W. Striplin, Ed.D.
City Manager
KEN STRIPLIN is the City Manager for the City of Santa Clarita. Ken has worked for the City of Santa Clarita since 1996, serving in a leadership capacity in every City department during his tenure. He was honored with the 2021 Award for Career Excellence in Memory of Mark E. Keane by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). ICMA is the leading organization of local government professionals dedicated to creating and sustaining thriving communities throughout the world.
Ken has served as Department Head and Division Manager in several areas throughout his career and his experience has supported the City’s successful efforts in completing and/or implementing a number of complex projects and programs. Most recent accomplishments include the completion of the Central Park Buildout project, which adds an approximately 15-acres of amenities to the premier park in Santa Clarita; the Vista Canyon Multi-Modal Center, a monumental interagency collaboration, that provides a new Metrolink Station and new Bus Transfer Center, which includes, a grade separated pedestrian crossing and a new rail bridge; completion of the 46,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, Sheriff Station; and the 25,000-square-foot, 9-acre Canyon Country Community Center.
Throughout his career, Ken has played an integral role in the fiscal and organizational success of the City of Santa Clarita. Working with the City Council and staff, Ken has helped to ensure the City delivers an on-time and balanced budget each year. These efforts resulted in multiple bond rating upgrades over the course of the Great Recession, including the highest rating of AAA by Standard & Poor’s in 2012, which the City continues to maintain. The City has also been recognized for its excellence in budgeting by the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers. Ken’s conservative fiscal planning has helped ensure the City is able to consistently provide essential services, while adding new offerings and meeting new demands.
Ken works closely with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department to address local issues, develop targeted programming and implement strategies that support the high-quality of life in Santa Clarita. Some of the City’s successes to date include: the addition of several new fire stations to meet the community’s growing needs; the development of the Sheriff Zone Program, which monitors and addresses community-specific crime trends and issues; and an overall effort to help Santa Clarita consistently lower annual crime rate statistics.
Ken has served as Personnel Officer for the City, overseeing all human resource activities and acting as the City’s labor negotiator. He has worked with staff to develop a successful workforce development plan and an award-winning mentoring program, which was recognized by the League of California Cities with a Helen Putnam award.
Earlier in his career, Ken was the recipient of the John H. Nail Award from the League of California Cities for his work as an outstanding Assistant City Manager. He has served on several local boards throughout his career, including the Michael Hoefflin Foundation for Children’s Cancer and the Santa Clarita Valley YMCA. Ken serves as the California City Managers Foundation Board of Trustees President and is also a member of the County of Los Angeles Contract Cities Liability Trust Fund Claims Board.
Ken holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Northridge, as well as a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University. Ken and his family enjoy an active lifestyle and participate in baseball and football programs in the community.
Frank Oviedo has served as the City of Santa Clarita’s Assistant City Manager since 2013 and currently oversees the City’s day-to-day operations.
Previously, Oviedo served as the City Manager for the city of Wildomar, California, where he worked since 2009. Prior to that, he was the Deputy City Manager for the city of Elk Grove, California, from 2002-2009, where he also worked as the Assistant to the City Manager.
Oviedo has over 25 years of experience in city government and has worked in every city department in three cities, with a steady progression of management responsibilities.
Oviedo began his career in Santa Clarita in 1997 before moving to Elk Grove in 2002. During his first stint in Santa Clarita, Oviedo worked as a Management Analyst for the Parks and Recreation department, as well as serving as interim Parks Superintendent and as a Management Analyst in the City’s Finance department. As Deputy City Manager and Assistant to the City Manager in Elk Grove, he initially oversaw the Planning and Public Works departments before serving as the Deputy City Manager for internal functions. In that role, Oviedo oversaw the Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources and Risk Management divisions and also served as the interim Finance Director.
Oviedo left Elk Grove to become Wildomar’s first City Manager shortly after the city’s incorporation in 2009. While there, Oviedo strengthened his administrative and development services oversight experience, developing Wildomar’s first comprehensive economic development work plan and creating policies encouraging economic growth by creatively phasing commercial projects in order to jump start pre-recession approved plans.
Oviedo was responsible for organizing Wildomar’s departmental structure and establishing its financial processes. He implemented a new finance accounting system for better accountability and long-term financial health. Additionally, Oviedo worked with the community to implement a “parks assessment” during the Great Recession, which resulted in funding to reopen city parks and provide recreational and quality-of-life benefits for generations of Wildomar residents.
Oviedo earned a Bachelor’s degree from Fresno State and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University’s School of Public Affairs. He is a member of the International City/County Manager Association and the California City Management Foundation, and has served on the board of directors for various non-profit organizations. He currently serves as Chair of the Michael Hoefflin Foundation for children’s cancer in Santa Clarita.
Oviedo is married with two children and is an outdoor enthusiast, enjoying mountain biking, sea kayaking and international travel.
