Fresno’s deputy mayor leaving City Hall

Matthew Grundy, Fresno’s deputy mayor – and the person in charge of making sure City Hall is connected with the community – is on his way out of office.

“I stand here at a moment where I’ve heard God yet again. This time He is guiding me to depart from my role as Deputy Mayor,” Grundy said in an emailed statement Wednesday from Mayor Jerry Dyer’s Office. “I find this guidance a bit curious. I love the people of Fresno, I love our Mayor, our team and my job.”

Grundy joined City Hall in January 2021, when Dyer was sworn into office.

As deputy mayor, Grundy was the architect of the administration’s first Office of Community Affairs. He led a team of liaisons charged with connecting communities of color to resources at City Hall.

During his tenure as deputy mayor, Grundy led the Mayor’s affordable housing initiatives, authoring the One Fresno Housing Strategy – a plan continually under fire as renters and first-time homebuyers continue to face escalating housing costs.

He led the mayor’s appointments to boards and commissions, efforts to revitalize Camp Fresno, and the Mayor’s Youth Jobs Corps.

Fresno’s deputy mayor represented the city last fall at a news conference announcing a city partnership with the now-defunct Bitwise Industries. The project planned to build a digital tech hub for entrepreneurs of color and other small businesses.

Prior to serving at City Hall, Grundy was a member of Dyer’s transition team. He was the Chief Executive Officer for the Greater Fresno Habitat for Humanity and a founding board member of the Central California Community Land Trust.

Grundy’s last day at City Hall is Aug. 1. He continues to serve on the Mayor’s One Fresno Foundation Board of Directors, a private foundation.

“Deputy Mayor Grundy has been a Godsend to my Administration,” Dyer said in the statement.