Palos Verdes Estates Names New City Manager

PALOS VERDES ESTATES, CA —The Palos Verdes Estates City Council Wednesday night unanimously appointed Mark T. Prestwich to serve as City Manager.

Prestwich replaces Laura Guglielmo, who resigned to pursue other opportunities in September.

“My colleagues and I dedicated a great deal of time and attention to identify the characteristics necessary for the next City Manager,” Mayor Victoria Lozzi said in a statement. “Throughout the process, Mr. Prestwich exhibited the professionalism, temperament, skills, and forward-thinking attributes that we were searching for. With his 25 years of public sector experience, Mark successfully set himself apart as the most qualified individual to lead this organization.”

Prestwich has spent his entire 25-year professional career in public service.

Most recently, Prestwich served as the City Manager of St. Helena, a full-service city in Napa County. There, he managed a staff of 82 full-time employees and an all funds expenditure budget of $69.4 million.

During his time in this role, he helped navigate St. Helena through the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftermath of extreme wildfires and severe drought conditions. Prior to that experience, Prestwich served the city of Nevada City as City Manager.

Before this role, Prestwich served as a management analyst in the cities of Napa and Sunnyvale, Assistant to the City Manager in the city of Napa, and Special Projects Manager in the Sacramento City Manager’s Office.

Prestwich began his professional career with the League of California Cities, a statewide association representing all 482 California cities. He has substantial experience in project management, budget, and executive leadership in small, medium and large California municipalities, according to the city.

He has served as the President of the Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC) after serving four consecutive years as an MMANC Board Member. He is also a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and has been involved with statewide efforts to prepare the next generation of local government leaders in California.

Prestwich earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Honors from California State University, Fullerton. He also holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from the Graduate Center for Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Long Beach.

“I am excited by this opportunity,” Prestwich said in a statement. “I am truly honored to have the City Council’s support and I look forward to serving the fine people of Palos Verdes Estates.”

Prestwich will start the new role in Palos Verdes Estates on Feb. 22.