Frederic Clark is Manteca’s new community development director.

City Manager Karen McLaughlin appointed Clark permanently to the post he has overseen on an interim basis since March 2010.

Clark said he embraces the philosophy that it is the city’s responsibility to move projects forward in a timely manner to capture jobs and dollars for the Manteca economy.

“If we stifle development, developers will go somewhere else,” Clark said.

Clark noted that growth is needed to keep Manteca’s economy expanding. He added it’ll be years before Manteca gets to the point where it will need to start going up as a mature city.

Clark has overseen a reconfiguration of the community development department that included reducing staff levels as well as consolidating services with public works to streamline the approval process.

Frederic has shown true leadership ability, and has earned the support of employees within his department and across other departments,” McLaughlin said. “Through these difficult economic times, Frederic has helped focus the City’s efforts on improving the local economy by developing a more-efficient, user-friendly development services process, and applying his creative thinking-skills toward finding solutions to development issues.”

Clark has served in various positions for the city since being hired over 20 years ago. The jobs ranged from associate civil engineer and deputy director of public works first for utilities and then engineering services to assistant director of public works and the department’s interim manager at one point.

Clark worked for Nolte & Associates prior to being hired by the city.

He earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at California State University, Chico. He is both a California Registered Professional Civil Engineer and a California Licensed Land Surveyor.  

Clark is married with five children.

Born and raised in Colusa County, Clark attended Princeton High.

Clark says he tries to live by the motto, “Leave the world a better place than you found it.”