Riverside Names New Public Works Chief

The City of Riverside named Nathan Mustafa its Public Works director on May 19, elevating an internal engineer and manager who has spent 13 years in the department. City Manager Mike Futrell said he chose Mustafa after watching his performance during the past five months as interim director. The appointment puts Mustafa in charge of a department that handles streets, traffic, trash and recycling, parking and tree trimming, according to the city. It also gives him oversight of more than 300 employees and operations at the city’s Water Quality Control Plant. ### How did Nathan Mustafa get the job? Mike Futrell announced the appointment in a city news release Tuesday, saying Mustafa had already been leading the department on an interim basis for five months. Futrell said he was impressed by Mustafa’s performance during that stretch and decided to make the promotion permanent. Gil Hernandez’s move to interim assistant city manager created the opening, according to the city and the Raincross Gazette. Mustafa had been next in line as a senior Public Works official, after serving in posts that included deputy public works director, city engineer and earlier engineering roles inside the department. ### What exactly does Riverside’s Public Works department control? Riverside’s Public Works department oversees services that touch daily life across the city, including streets, traffic operations, trash and recycling, parking and tree trimming, the city said. The department’s mission page also lists wastewater, storm drain facilities, solid waste systems and public parking among its core responsibilities. The city said Mustafa will manage more than 300 employees across those functions. Raincross Gazette reported that scope includes operations at Riverside’s Water Quality Control Plant, one of the department’s largest utility-related responsibilities. ### What experience did Riverside cite in choosing Mustafa? Nathan Mustafa has worked for Riverside for 13 years, according to the Raincross Gazette. The city said his background includes transportation, pavement management, grants and sustainability work, experience officials said fit the department’s mix of maintenance and capital planning. A 2019 city release identified Mustafa as Riverside’s city traffic engineer when the city announced a $117,800 California Office of Traffic Safety grant for bicycle and pedestrian safety work. More recently, city and local news reports have described him as deputy public works director, city engineer and interim public works director as he handled infrastructure and development-related assignments. ### Which projects are likely to land on his desk first? Raincross Gazette said Mustafa takes over with several major projects already moving, including the Third Street Grade Separation and the city’s Bioenergy Facility. Those projects sit alongside routine street, traffic and waste operations that the department manages every day. Nathan Mustafa has also appeared publicly on other city infrastructure efforts in recent months. A city sustainability release this week quoted him on Riverside’s vehicle miles traveled mitigation bank pilot, while Gazette reporting in March cited him on the Riverside Civil Rights Walk project, where construction was expected to begin in May. ### What did city officials say about the appointment? Mike Futrell said in the city release that Mustafa’s work as interim director helped show he was ready for the permanent role. The city’s statement said the department affects residents and business owners directly because it manages basic services and infrastructure systems across Riverside. Raincross Gazette reported that officials pointed to Mustafa’s grant, pavement and sustainability experience as strengths as the city continues repair work and capital projects. The article did not announce a separate start date because Mustafa was already serving in the position on an interim basis. ### What happens next inside City Hall? May 19 is the formal date Riverside announced Mustafa as permanent director, but the operational handoff had already begun during his interim tenure. The next public signs of the change are likely to come through project updates, budget discussions and City Council items tied to Public Works contracts and construction schedules. Riverside’s media page lists the department among the city’s core operating agencies, and the Public Works site details the services now under Mustafa’s authority. Upcoming milestones include continued work on the Third Street Grade Separation, the Bioenergy Facility and other city construction projects that will move through council agendas and public updates in the months ahead. (riversideca.gov)