Manteca’s first formal State of the City takes place Wednesday.
And it was at the insistence of Mayor Steve DeBrum who believes the city’s 75,000 residents should be provided with a snapshot of where the city is at and  where it is going and how regional trends will impact the Manteca economy.
DeBrum has indicated he will speak for about 12 minutes about what is on the horizon for Manteca in 2017.
DeBrum — who was elected mayor in 2014 — in a way is a throwback to city leaders that served on the first council after the city was incorporated 99 years ago. Three of the first council members — including Mayor Joshua Cowell who is considered the Father of Manteca —had strong ties to agriculture.
DeBrum, 69, serves as the Northern California and Northern Nevada manager of Dairy Farmers of America. He also lives in a fairly rural segment of Manteca.
Before DeBrum was elected to the council in 2020 it had been at least 40 years since an elected council member had a livelihood directly tied into agriculture.
DeBrum was born in Hanford and graduated from Hanford High School in 1965.  He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from California State Polytechnic College, San Luis Obispo in 1970. Drawing on his strong passion for the growth and preservation of agriculture, DeBrum went to work for Foremost Foods Company in their laboratory and later in the Field Department. In 1979, DeBrum was hired as the Dairy Manager for Knudsen Agricultural Management Company.
In 1984, DeBrum began service from his home base in Manteca as the Area Field Representative for a number of dairy farmers that were part of an agricultural marketing cooperative now known as the Dairy Farmers of America.  
DeBrum is active in a number of professional clubs and associations.
Locally, he is the past president of the Manteca Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, a past President of the Manteca Chamber of Commerce, and a former board member for the Manteca Boys and Girls Club.
He is a member of the Manteca Sunrise Kiwanis, where he has served as Lt. Governor for the California, Nevada, and Hawaii region. He has served as a past state officer for the Future Farmers of America. As an active member of Manteca’s St. Anthony’s Parish, DeBrum has served in the role of Grand Knight with the St. Anthony’s Knights of Columbus.
You can see DeBrum helping at events such as crab feeds, free fishing events for kids, benefit dinners, golf tournaments, and helping place flags as part of the Flags Over Manteca effort.
He also serves as a board member for the Manteca Unified Student Trust and is a past board member of the San Joaquin United Way. He also has served as American Heart Association board member and has been event chair for the Manteca Ducks Unlimited benefit.
DeBrum and his wife Veronica have been married for more than 45 years.
They met at Hanford High where he was the FFA president and she was the FFA sweetheart. They moved to Manteca in 1984. They have two grown children and five grandchildren.
Also speaking Wednesday:
uThomas Pogue who serves as the associate director for the University of the Pacific’s Center for Business and Policy Research Center. He is part of the team that produces part of the UOP team that compiles economic forecasts, examines demographic trends, shifts through census data, and is responsible for the Northern San Joaquin Valley Index. The annual index examines issues for regional economic integration and growth involving San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties and its 1.5 million plus residents.
uJames Waterman, the Google West Regional Manager for State, Local, and Education Markets. He is an advocate for the adoption of technology to educate as well as “integrate and enable ecosystems of need” with the bottom line focused on marketing Google technology.
The State of the City takes place Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the Manteca Transit station, 220 Moffat Blvd., in partnership with the Manteca Chamber of Commerce. The $15 ticket includes light breakfast refreshments. The program starts at 8 a.m. Tickets available at manteca.org or by calling the chamber at 823.6121.