City Manager | City of Santa Rosa, CA | 
Maraskeshia Smith broke barriers as the first Black woman to serve as city manager of Santa Rosa, CA, and works tirelessly to elevate others in public service.
Maraskeshia is known for a strong focus on mentorship, recruitment, and morale. She is open about not always receiving support as a woman of color and a leader in local government, and now reaches out to others to help them up the ladder, offering the guidance and support that was not always extended to her.
Maraskeshia wants to make sure others know they do not have to navigate their path in local government alone. She discusses how representation matters — and wants to show what is possible to women who have doubted themselves and believe they may not deserve to be in local government leadership.
Beyond city hall, Maraskeshia is a board member for Women Leading Government, and remains active with professional organizations and service- and faith-based nonprofits supporting youth education and development.
Prior to joining the City of Santa Rosa, she previously served as second-in-command as assistant city manager in Stockton and Oakland. Before moving to California, Maraskeshia spent the bulk of her career at the City of Cincinnati, OH, where she led the public works department for nearly 10 years as the first Black woman to serve as Cincinnati’s public works director.