The newest cohort of the City of Monterey's First City Academy ended their 9 week program on May 20, 2026, and the Old Monterey Business Association's Executive Director, Sabrina Hiltunen, was one of the 42 graduates!
Sabrina writes. "In addition to the extensive training and information I learned about the City of Monterey and the individual departments, First City Academy allowed me to build rapport and strengthen working relationships with City leaders. This included our new City Manager, Dante Hall, who participated in First City Academy sessions upon his arrival to Monterey."
In her role at the OMBA, Sabrina works daily with the City of Monterey across multiple departments - everything from the Streets and Utilities Maintenance Division to the City Manager’s Office - to serve and represent small businesses in Downtown Monterey. We thank Sabrina for devoting her Thursday evenings to the program this spring. We know the knowledge she gained will benefit OMBA members in the long run.
About First City Academy
First City Academy, a community program presented by the City of Monterey, teaches participants about topics such as city management, community engagement, community services, public works, police, community development, fire and emergency management, economic development, budgeting, technology, and human resources. In short, it covers how the City is funded, how services are delivered, and how decisions are made.
We salute everyone who participated in the Spring 2026 program. In the words of City Manager Dante Hall, "Citizen academies strengthen transparency, build trust, and empower residents to play an active role in shaping their community."
If you're interested in joining First City Academy in one of the upcoming sessions, please keep an eye on this webpage for details.
