County names head of new merged departments
In an effort to merge resources and improve efficiency, the County of Riverside will combine two departments responsible for economic development as well as constructing and maintaining county facilities.
Rob Field, the county’s Director of Facilities Management, will also assume responsibility for the Economic Development Agency when Assistant County Executive Officer/EDA Director Robin Zimpfer retires later this month. Field now leads a staff of 600 who oversee design and construction of county projects, in addition to countywide real property, maintenance and custodial services. He manages an $80 million operations budget and $220 million capital budget.
The EDA, with about 400 employees and an annual budget of $550 million, encompasses seven divisions with responsibilities ranging from economic development, housing and project management to county airports and the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival.
With the consolidation, one department head position will be eliminated and the new agency will continue to look for potential savings, county Executive Officer Bill Luna said.
“These are economically trying times and Rob is the right person to oversee this consolidation and explore ideas about cutting costs,” Luna said.
Field started his county tenure 10 years ago with the Economic Development Agency, eventually becoming an assistant director before his promotion in 2006 as head of Facilities Management. Field is a Riverside native and graduated from the University of California, Riverside in 1989. He is chairman of the Unforgettables Foundation, which helps offset funeral costs for families who have lost a child and have limited resources. He also is a board member of the March Field Air Museum.
Zimpfer started with EDA as a development specialist in 1985 and has served as director since 2005, helping to revitalize the county fair, developing housing programs for the county’s neediest residents and developing a response to help deal with the local foreclosure crisis.
“Robin made a big impact on Riverside County and has left a lasting legacy”, Luna said.
For more information, contact public information specialist Lys Mendez at (951) 955-1179.