Who was the first OCEA General Manager?
In 1960, OCEA hired a General Manager and became incorporated under California law. The first General Manager, John Hiatt Sawyer, received his law degree from the University of Michigan, and was licensed to practice law in both Michigan and California. He had experience on the management side while working for corporations in the private sector. He was the ideal candidate for the job, and his skills were a tremendous asset as OCEA moved from bargaining informally with the County and began to bargain formally with the County under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, beginning in 1969.
