Robin Bertagna has announced her retirement from the Finance Director position at the City of Yuba City after 21 years and with 26 years of public service. The daughter of crop duster pilot, Robin grew up a farm girl, riding horses through the orchards of Durham, CA, a small, rural town just outside of Chico. After graduating with a business administration (accounting concentration) degree from California State University, Chico, Robin joined a small CPA firm, Davis Hammon & Co., CPAs, and earned her CPA certificate, passing all parts in her first sitting, five months later. Robin’s time at this firm involved 40+ tax and financial statement customers each year, but also provided her with experience in municipal and governmental agency audits—the very skills that would make Robin an invaluable resource in her first municipal job at City of Gridley in 1994, and all during her tenure in Yuba City.

After her years at City of Gridley as the Finance Director, Robin pushed way out of her comfort zone and accepted the mid-manager position of Finance Officer in the Administrative Services Department of Yuba City, where Robin was presented with several months of unreconciled bank statements, a budget not worthy of award submission, and a staff in need of training and coaching in the ways of adequate controls, teamwork, and procedures. Robin took the challenge and within two years had produced GFOA and CSMFO award-winning budgets and CAFRs, with her FY 2003-2004 operating budget winning the first ever CSMFO budget cover award. Robin led her small finance team of five bookkeepers and accountants through the many changes hurled her way by GASB, the federal government, and Sacramento including challenges like GASB 34, Triple-Flip, RDA dissolution, enhanced pensions, and then PEPRA, all while concurrently having to navigate the Great Recession and 10% furloughs in a city with up to 20% seasonal unemployment and the hard-hitting housing bubble that affected the Central Valley for a few years after other regions were already in recovery. It was through all this that Robin’s professionalism, confidence, and expertise influenced bond rating agencies to continually give favorable ratings.

Robin became very involved in CSMFO through annual conferences, committees, and for quite a long tenure as the Sacramento Valley Chapter chair. Robin carried the torch passed by Kim Sarkovich to reignite the chapter to its past grandeur. Robin was very careful to plan ahead for regular quarterly meetings and booking relevant, current, and fascinating guest speakers to draw large crowds to wonderful venues in the Sacramento region. There is no doubt that informative chapter meetings and better attendance has brought the municipal and special district finance professionals of the Sacramento region closer and created a strong network of resources. We are very fortunate to have called Robin a colleague, mentor, resource, and friend over the last two decades. She is now off to sail the Seven Seas with her husband, John, and explore the tropics. We will miss Robin and wish her the very best in retirement. Bon voyage, Robin!