Search for new City Manager underway
Feb. 11, 2021 at 6:00 am
The search for Santa Monica’s next city manager is officially underway.
Santa Monica City Council unanimously directed staff Tuesday to retain Lamont Ewell of Ralph Andersen & Associates, who is now set to begin searching for Santa Monica’s first permanent manager since Rick Cole resigned in April 2020.
Having previously managed the cities of Santa Monica, San Diego, and Durham, North Carolina, Councilmembers said they believe Ewell has the experience necessary to find the best candidates for the job.
Councilmember Gleam Davis, who joined Mayor Sue Himmelrich and Councilmember Oscar de la Torre on an ad-hoc committee tasked with hiring a search firm, clarified this week that Ewell will not be responsible for hiring a city manager; instead, he will recommend a short list of candidates who will be interviewed by the Council before a selection is made.