Santa Monica Council Selects New City Manager

SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica City Council Thursday night announced that they have selected David White to serve as the next city manager.

White currently serves as the deputy city manager for the city of Berkeley, where he oversees internal service departments, public safety reform, economic recovery, and special projects, city officials said. He joined Berkely's executive team in May 2019. He worked as city manager in Fairfield, California for five years before that role.

"David has a keen understanding of the central issues our like-minded cities face and has demonstrated that he has the experience and spirit of can-do inclusion we need to lead Santa Monica at this critical time," said Mayor Sue Himmelrich. "We are thrilled to have found a candidate so aligned with our community’s values and impatiently await his arrival so we may begin our collective work."

Berkeley has a population of 120,000 and White's work has focused on community and organization-wide collaboration, city officials said.

"He championed reimagining public safety, including a new model of civilian oversight of Berkeley’s Police Department," according to a city statement. "With an extensive background in finance both as an investment banker and as Fairfield’s finance director, White is well-suited to see Santa Monica through our economic recovery."

White has experience helping cities rebuild, including his work as a city manager of Fairfield, where he served after the Great Recession, city officials said. He addressed homelessness, oversaw a large capital project portfolio, and prioritized fiscal health and community engagement.

He also spent 10 years in leadership capacities for the city of Fairfield, working in a number of roles, including assistant city manager, finance director, and senior project manager for economic development.

"I am excited and humbled to serve the City of Santa Monica as its City Manager," White said in a statement. "Santa Monica is a wonderful community and I am eager to engage and work closely with the City Council, staff, residents, and businesses implementing City Council's top priorities — achieving a clean and safe Santa Monica, addressing homelessness, and ensuring an equitable and inclusive economic recovery."

White is a native Angeleno and grew up in Studio City. He graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and anthropology. He has a master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

White plans to relocate to Santa Monica with his wife and daughter and looks forward to “coming home” to Southern California.

In the new role as city manager, White will oversee Santa Monica's total budget of $705.5M and a workforce of 1,923 people. The council will consider the employment contract for White, including the start date and salary, during its next meeting July 27.

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