Kevin McKeown Sworn In As Santa Monica's New Mayor

SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica City Council swore in the City's new Mayor, Kevin McKeown, at the Tuesday night meeting. McKeown is replacing Gleam Davis, who served as mayor for the last year, the City of Santa Monica announced.

McKeown will serve a one-year term; this is his second term as mayor, as he previously served a one-year term in 2015.

"We already know 2020 will be a particularly challenging year, but I embrace the challenges, because we have such a capable Council and an engaged community," Mayor McKeown said. "From housing to the economy to public safety to quality of life, my twin watchwords as mayor will be cooperation and commitment."

McKeown has been a Santa Monica renter for almost 44 years. He worked as a Macintosh computer consultant for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District for 25 years, helping local children and teachers. On the Council, where he is in his sixth term, McKeown focuses on renter issues, affordable housing and environmental sustainability, the City said. He is Santa Monica’s Director on the Board of the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, and he also serves on the State of California’s Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, and on the regional Westside Cities Council of Governments.

Mayor Davis focused her term on initiatives that promote lifelong learning, the City said. Davis collaborated with the Santa Monica Public Library to start "Let’s Read With Gleam," a reading event with children and teens. She helped kick off the first Santa Monica PRIDE celebration, broke ground on the Civic Center Multipurpose Sports Field, welcomed Santa Monica’s first all-electric Big Blue Bus and supported the City's Wellbeing Summit last month, among other highlights, the City said.

"Being Mayor of Santa Monica has been a great privilege and a tremendous honor. But it’s also been incredibly fun," Davis said. "I want to thank everyone who came to wonderful community events such as the 10-year anniversary of the Annenberg Community Beach House, Read with Gleam at our amazing libraries, and our very successful Wellbeing Summit. I also want to thank our great residents, our hardworking staff, and everyone else who offered support and encouragement throughout the year. We had many successes this year and I know we still have many challenges. I look forward to doing the hard but satisfying work of continuing to address these issues head on. Working together we truly can be a sustainable city of wellbeing. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to serve Santa Monica, the best city in the world."

Terry O’Day will serve a second year as Mayor Pro Tempore.