Tarik Rahmani is San Bernardino’s new finance director, bringing nearly 25 years of high-level municipal finance and executive leadership experience to the city, officials announced earlier this month.
Rahmani most recently was chief financial officer and interim deputy city manager for the city of North Miami Beach. There he oversaw multiple departments, including Finance, Utilities, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and the Library. Rahmani was responsible for managing the city’s operating budget, capital improvement and infrastructure programs and long-term financial strategy.
“Tarik Rahmani brings a proven track record of financial leadership, innovation, and strategic thinking to San Bernardino,” San Bernardino City Manager Eric Levitt said in a statement. “His extensive experience in municipal finance and his ability to align fiscal strategies with community priorities will be instrumental. He is a great addition to our team.”
Previously Rahmani held leadership roles with several cities in California, including as deputy city manager and finance director for Carson in southwest Los Angeles County, officials said. In Carson he served as the city’s chief financial and innovation officer, leading a large finance staff and overseeing budgeting, capital improvement and infrastructure programs.
Rahmani also was president of finance for the League of California Cities, where he represented municipal finance interests on the organization’s Board of Directors and worked collaboratively to support cities across the state.
“I am honored to join the City of San Bernardino and look forward to working with the City Council, staff, and community to advance sound financial practices and support the City’s continued growth and success,” Rahmani said in a statement.
Rahmani’s earlier experience includes senior financial leadership positions in the Pacific Northwest cities of Seattle and Bellevue, Washington.
In San Bernardino, Rahmani will oversee all financial operations for the city, including budgeting, accounting, treasury, purchasing, payroll, grant management and business registration. Officials said he will play an important role in ensuring fiscal sustainability while supporting the city’s policy priorities and services for residents and businesses.
Rahmani has a master’s degree in agricultural economics from New Mexico State University and a bachelor’s degree in enterprise financial management from the University of Carthage in the North African nation of Tunisia.