The office of Palo Alto City Manager James Keene will have a new look this summer, with two deputy city managers preparing to join the department.

One of them probably won't need much help learning about local needs. Rob de Geus, a veteran of the Community Services Department and the department's director since 2014, was tapped by Keene on Tuesday to fill one of the deputy city manager positions. In an announcement, Keene said de Geus will be transitioning into his new position of the summer.

In appointing de Geus, Keene praised his "broad experience with Palo Alto and his ability to work and connect with the community." De Geus joined the city 17 years ago as recreation coordinator and steadily rose up the ranks in the Community Services Department. He served as division manager of the department's Recreation and Golf Division before getting tapped to lead the department three years ago.

In recent years, De Geus has been heavily involved in establishing and sustaining Project Safety Net, the community collaborative focused on youth well-being. He has also been overseeing the significant renovation of the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course, which is scheduled to be completed later this year.

He currently manages a department with 80 employees and, according to Keene, one of the largest budgets in the city.

Now, he will be filling a position that has been vacant since the departure of former Deputy City Manager Steve Emslie in 2013. Earlier this month, Keene told the City Council Finance Committee that his goal is to have one deputy city manager who would be in charge of "external-facing issues" such as economic vitality and community-based initiatives and another with a more internal focus: managing performance at City Hall.

The "deputy city manager" position has traditionally been one step below "assistant city manager," a position now in short supply in Keene's office. Two assistant city managers, Pamela Antil and Suzanne Mason, had departed in recent years to take jobs elsewhere. The only person who holds that title now is Ed Shikada, who also spends about 75 percent of his time serving as general manager of the Utilities Department.

The two new deputies (Keene expects to appoint a second deputy city manager next month) are expected to help fill the void, with de Geus taking on the "external-facing" role. Keene said in a statement that de Geus "will need to bring people together to build coalitions, engage with the community and provide leadership on complex and strategic initiatives."

"His already established relationships both with his colleagues, as well as with many community organizations are an asset that will provide a solid foundation to build his role for the future," Keene said.

De Geus said in a statement that he looks forward to "continuing to contribute in meaningful ways to the City that result in residents' increased confidence and support for our evolving community identity, sense of place and culture of innovation."

"I am grateful for the opportunity to help advance our organizational excellence and continue our focus on civic engagement," de Geus said.