South Lake Tahoe finance director gives notice

By Kathryn Reed

Four months into the job and Michael Nakama knew the public sector was not for him.

Nakama at the end of the year will leave his post as finance director for South Lake Tahoe. He gave notice in October, but no one at the city chose to let anyone know until now.

Nakama had been laid off from Southern California Edison when former City Manager Tony O’Rourke tapped him for the $130,000 year position. The hire was made one week before O’Rourke left his job with the city.

Michael Nakama

Nakama had no experience working in the public sector. What O’Rourke touted was Nakama’s MBA from Stanford. But apparently that degree didn’t translate into real world government know-how.

Nakama was not available for comment. He is returning to Southern California, where his family has remained since he started the city job in June.

City Manager Nancy Kerry told Lake Tahoe News she is taking her time to assess how to structure the finance department. In the interim she plans to hire a consultant to work on special projects. This person would be paid on an hourly basis. She has conducted phone interviews and plans to do in-person interviews in the next month so the person could start in January.

Kerry said the main issues she wants the interim person to address are the budget (to do a cost-benefit analysis), health care (it accounts for one-sixth of the budget), Harrison Avenue (becoming a business district), and the parking garage (bonds may be refinanced).