Glendora City Manager to Retire After 41-Year Career

Glendora City Manager Arthur E. Cook will retire this summer after more than four decades of guiding the city’s growth from a foothill village of citrus groves to a thriving suburb.

Cook, who rose through the ranks from a part-time drafting aide fresh out of the Air Force in 1956 to the city’s top management post in 1989, will retire Aug. 11 after he turns 65.

“We’re going to miss him,� said Mayor Sue Bauer. “We’ve always known this day would come, but it’s still going to be a hard transition. We are not looking forward to it.�

The council is expected on Tuesday to take action to select an interim city manager and begin a search for a permanent replacement for Cook, officials said.

Cook said he has been considering retirement for a year.

“I’ve finally reached the point after 41 years that it is time to leave,� he said. “I want to spend more time with my family.�

In 1956, Glendora was a vastly different town, with two-lane roads and no sewers.

“When I first arrived it was a small citrus community of a little over 9,000,� he said. “Now it’s a community of 50,000 plus.�

Under Cook’s leadership, the city developed the massive Glendora Auto Center and became home to one of county’s first Wal-Mart stores. Cook said he is proud of the development that provides about $1 million annually in sales tax to the city.