With more than two decades of public office experience, transitioning into the role of Irvine’s newly appointed interim city manager feels like just another day at the office for Marianna Marysheva. 

Marysheva, an Irvine resident and mother of 11-year-old twins, has served as Irvine’s assistant city manager since July 2018. Now, with the retirement of former City Manager John Russo, Marysheva moves into the interim role. 

However, it is a role she is familiar with. 

Marianna Marysheva

Marysheva is a problem solver, and her work history can attest to such a claim. Prior to Irvine, Marysheva has held public office across the state, including budget director and assistant city manager for the city of Oakland and town manager of Mammoth Lakes. She also worked alongside her predecessor, former Irvine City Manager John Russo, in Riverside County. 

Marysheva attributes her successful tenure in public office to her early career in Oakland, where her first public office position was budget director for the city of Oakland from 2001-2005. 

In Oakland, Marysheva explained that as a young public official, she was able to glean insight from some of California’s most-established political personalities, which helped shape her professionally. 

Early on, Marysheva said she was inspired by the well-known former mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown, and Gavin Newsom, who was a member of the County Board of Supervisors at the time. 

Born in Kazakhstan, Marysheva and was 19-years-old when she first came to America. Marysheva considers this transition a life-changing experience that she credits for shaping her world perspective. 

“Being able to appreciate the diversity and the people around you, and what they bring to the table, and how we all coexist and work together — especially nowadays given what’s happening in the world, that experience has been invaluable,” she said. 

In essence, Marysheva’s story encapsulates the American Dream — while her personal accomplishments may seem impressive, the accolades remain insignificant in comparison to the hardship required to endure such a monumental shift in culture and environment. 

“The culture shock was coming from a country that was barely developed, to a country that is a leader in so many different senses,” Marysheva explained in an interview with Irvine Weekly. “I think I had culture shock on so many different levels — from walking into a supermarket and seeing the wealth of the nation, through products available to people. We didn’t have that. We barely had very limited items available to us to eat, and to consume and to see it here in this country, I was just amazed.”

Marysheva earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from two well-known Bay Area universities, and admits her story is a prime example of what can be accomplished, when you work hard to achieve set goals.

“I came here, I got my bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State, I had to work to support myself, and then I went straight for my master’s at UC Berkeley,” Marysheva explained to us. “But what was clear in my mind, and my story proves it, is that if you put your mind to something, there’s a high likelihood, in this country, that you can actually accomplish it.” 

While it may seem cliche for some to believe that simply working hard will lead to success, from Marysheva’s perspective it becomes more about the opportunities available. 

“Hard work really pays off, and that’s not always the case in the underdeveloped world,” she said. 

Marysheva’s dedication to her craft will continue in Irvine. In terms of future plans, Marysheva explained that she’s excited about the future and looks forward to implementing the policies set forth by the City Council.

“I believe, subscribe to, and fully support the vision that our mayor and City Council have established for this community,” she said. “I believe this trend will continue; and that is, to continue seeing this city as a leader in green space, in being walkable, and of being inviting.”  

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