SANTA MONICA—The Santa Monica City Council elected its newest city manager on Thursday, July 22, at a special meeting. David White will serve as the new city manager.

White is currently serving as the deputy city manager for the city of Berkeley. He oversees the internal service departments, public safety reform, economic recovery, and special projects. Before his current position, he served as the City Manager in Fairfield for five years.

“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. 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,” said Mayor Sue Himmelrich in a press release.

The city of Berkeley, which has a population of 120,000, White was responsible for leading efforts that required community and organization-wide collaboration. He reimagined public safety, which included a new model of civilian oversight for Berkeley’s Police Department.

As the City Manager in Fairfield, where the population is 115,000, he advanced a citywide strategy to address homelessness, oversaw a large capital project portfolio, and prioritized fiscal health and community engagement. 

White grew up in Studio City and graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and anthropology. He also has a Master’s Degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

White’s employment contract with a start date of October 11 and his salary will be up for consideration at the city council’s next meeting on July 27.