Doug Dunford announced on Monday that he is stepping down as Ceres city manager due to a family medical emergency.

The announcement came as a surprise at the end of Monday’s long council meeting. Dunford said his last day will be on Friday, April 3.

Dunford has served as city manager since May 2023 after the council dismissed City Manager Alex Terrazas the month prior. 

“Over the last three years, I’ve had the pleasure and honor to be your city manager here in the city of Ceres,” began Dunford. “I’ve had a wonderful time working here. I’ve been given the opportunity by the council to hire some wonderful people here that now are sitting before you, and they’ve done some wonderful things and 2026 looks like it’s going to be a very promising year where we have a lot of businesses coming in. We’re going to get a lot of things done and move the city forward.”

Among the recent hires in management position are Josh Casas as acting Public Works Director, Vanessa Portillo as Finance Director and Michael Beltran as City Engineer (hired in 2024).

He continued: “Now today you heard a lot of negative things coming out and stuff. We’re trying to change Ceres for the better and we’re trying to make the corrections that a number of errors that have been found are your predecessors, and not you. And that’s what staff is trying to do right now is make all those things happen.”

Mayor Javier Lopez followed up by saying Dunford has been his favorite of the three city managers with which he’s served.

“But what I really notice is that you care about your community,” the mayor told Dunford. “You hold people accountable and even when you’re being criticized you bite your tongue because you’re professional. And sometimes it’s very difficult because not everybody knows exactly what’s happening in the background.”

Councilwoman Cerina Otero said while she didn’t know Dunford long, she learned some things from him, adding, “I appreciate you willing to debate things at times.”

Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra said she appreciated how Dunford was just a phone call away “even during the evenings and weekends.”

“I really appreciate your open dialogue with me,” Vierra told Dunford. “And it’s a complete change from what we had before when I first started, and I appreciate everything you’ve done. I’m really sad you have to leave under these situations with your family emergency, but I wish you and your family the best of luck as you go through this next journey in your life.”

Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez said he has appreciated working with Dunford and called him “very knowledgeable” and “very forthcoming.”

“I respect you a lot and I hope that you and your family get to this time together,” stated the vice mayor.

Dunford’s professional career began in September 1978 when he served 11 years as a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy. He was a Turlock Police officer from October 1989 to June 1993, resigning to become a police captain with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad’s San Bernardino office. He remained there until February 2002, to spend seven years as Escalon’s police chief and a year as the police chief of Gustine. Dunford was Gustine’s city manager from May 2017 to April 2022 and the city manager of the beleaguered California City in the Mojave Desert before coming to Ceres.