OCEANSIDE — The city kicked off the new year by introducing two new hires in leadership positions: City Planner Oscar Romero and Parks and Recreation Division Manager Elizabeth Kovar.
Romero introduced himself to the Planning Commission on Jan. 12 and again at the Jan. 14 City Council meeting.
“It’s a privilege to be in this role, and I’m looking forward to working with all of you,” he said at the Planning Commission meeting.
For the past two years, Romero served as the city of Escondido’s principal planner for current planning. While there, he managed complex projects requiring legislative and discretionary action. He also oversaw environmental reviews of capital improvement projects, coordinated Zoning Administrator hearings, and managed both the Staff Development Committee and front-counter staff.
Before joining Escondido, Romero worked for the city of Chula Vista for seven years, during which he rose from assistant to senior planner. His time there helped prepare him for roles as an urban planner and project manager, during which he worked on infill and density bonus projects.
One of his Chula Vista projects was the first to use vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in its California Environmental Quality Act process, just after the state switched from Level of Service to VMT for evaluating transportation impacts under Senate Bill 743 in 2020.
Another highlight of his time in Chula Vista was serving as a planning liaison to the city manager’s office on the legalization of cannabis businesses.
Although a San Diego native, Romero began his career in planning in Riverside. He holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of California, Irvine.
Romero lives in Chula Vista with his wife, two children and two dogs.
“In our household, we’re San Diego FC fans and we are Padres fans,” he added. “The oddball is we’re also (Golden State) Warriors fans, but I don’t know who’s not a Steph Curry fan these days.”
City Manager Jonathan Borrego shared the city’s excitement for selecting Romero as the new city planner.
“His extensive experience managing complex projects across Southern California cities makes him an excellent fit for our team,” Borrego said. “With over a decade of progressive expertise in urban planning, he brings the leadership and skills needed to ensure our Planning Division serves Oceanside residents and businesses with efficiency, responsiveness, and care. We’re confident he will be an outstanding addition to Oceanside’s team.”
Romero fills the spot left vacant by Sergio Madera, who worked for the city for several years until this past summer, when a formal complaint was filed against him. The city opened an investigation into the complaint, which alleged Madera sent a derogatory text message to then-Principal Planner Rob Dmohowski that appeared to discriminate against people with special needs. Both Madera and Dmohowski no longer work for the city.
Parks and Recreation Director Manuel Gonzalez introduced Elizabeth Kovar as the city’s new Parks and Recreation division manager at the Jan. 14 City Council meeting.
Similar to Romero, Kovar also previously worked for Chula Vista. She spent the past 27 years there serving the Parks and Recreation Department, where she managed the Salt Creek Recreation Center and Community Park, the city’s mobile recreation program and satellite programs, and special events.
She also served as the department liaison on park and facility capital projects and worked in aquatics for 18 years.
“I’m very excited to join the city of Oceanside and to get to work on some important projects to help keep our department moving forward,” she said during a January 2026 city update on KOCT Television.
The Chula Vista Parks and Recreation Department congratulated Kovar on her new adventure with Oceanside in a December Facebook post, highlighting her decades of work there.
“Your passion, leadership, and commitment have made a lasting impact on our community,” the post reads.
