MALIBU—Councilmember Mikke Pierson was appointed by Malibu City Council as Mayor on Monday, July 13, at the council’s regular meeting. Pierson was Malibu’s Mayor Pro-tem before stepping into the role of Mayor this week.

He will replace outgoing Mayor Karen Farrer, who will step down and assume a council member position. Both Farrer and Pierson were elected in 2018 as part of the City Council. Their terms on City Council will end in July 2022.

Pierson’s appointment comes amid the economy slowly trying to reopen as the country continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Following his appointment, he also addressed wanting to combat issues on wildfire, sea levels risings, limited city finances, homelessness, and completing council-approved projects.

Born and raised in Malibu, Pierson has also served on Malibu’s Planning Commission and Public Works Commission in years prior. Pierson has over 30 years of business experience and currently owns Pierson Business Growth Solutions, a business networking and consulting firm. He is also the Chief Operations Officer for Saltwater Software.

Skylar Peak was appointed Mayor Pro-Tem in the succession of Pierson moving on from the position. Peak’s term with the City Council will end in November 2020, meaning a vacancy for the Mayor Pro-Tem position may come in the fall.

City Council members are elected at-large to serve four-year terms, and the five elected members typically rotate amongst each other for the roles of Mayor and Mayor-Pro Tem, as each position is only appointed for terms of one year.