The City Council of the City of West Hollywood has announced its unanimous selection of David Wilson to serve as the City’s next City Manager.
According to a press release from the City of West Hollywood, the announcement was made on May 17th during the regular meeting of the City Council.
Wilson, who currently serves as Assistant City Manager for the City of West Hollywood, will take over for Paul Arevalo, who announced in March 2021 that he will be retiring as City Manager in summer 2021.
The City Council will consider approval of an employment agreement at the Monday, June 7, 2021 regular meeting of the City Council. Wilson was selected following an internal recruitment process conducted by the City Council and City Attorney.
Wilson is an accomplished local government professional with more than 20 years of service to the West Hollywood community. He has served as Assistant City Manager since 2018, in which he provides leadership, executive direction, and oversight of all City operations and services; ensures that City government responds to the needs of the community in a timely and effective manner; and enables City management and staff to work collaboratively and creatively in addressing the issues and concerns of West Hollywood’s constituency.
“I am excited to welcome David Wilson as our next City Manager of West Hollywood,” said Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “He’s someone who not only performs under pressure but is also someone that his team can rely on. Professionally, he began his service to our City as an intern and has made his work in West Hollywood the focus of his career. His demonstrated understanding of City Hall’s day-to-day operations as well as our City’s finances give all of us confidence in his abilities as we face the transition ahead. His commitment to equity and excellence is exactly what’s needed in this moment. He is the right person at the right time, and I am personally committed to doing all I can to help him succeed. I hope everyone at City Hall and in our community will do the same.”
“I am honored to have been selected by the City Council to serve as the next City Manager,” said Wilson. “West Hollywood is an extraordinary place to live, work, and play, and I look forward to my new role working collaboratively with the City Council, West Hollywood’s various communities, and City staff. Some of my initial priorities will be recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening City facilities to the public, and moving forward with the visioning process for the next 30 years of cityhood.”
Council member John Erickson took to Facebook to express his thoughts saying, “I’ve known David Wilson since starting as an intern at West Hollywood. His commitment to our city, staff, and our diverse community and businesses is steadfast and he has my full support. Congratulations, David!”
Prior to becoming Assistant City Manager, Wilson was the City of West Hollywood’s Director of Finance and Technology Services, overseeing General Accounting, Revenue Management, and Information Technology, as well as acting as the City Treasurer and Risk Manager. He has also served in various other roles for the City including Budget and Compensation Manager, Senior Management Analyst in the City Manager’s Department, and Project Development Administrator for the City’s redevelopment and housing functions.
Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Economy of Industrial Societies from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in Planning from the School of Policy, Planning, and Development at the University of Southern California. He also holds certificates of completion from: Harvard University’s Leadership Decision Making Program; the International City/County Management Association’s Leadership ICMA Program; and the University of Virginia’s Senior Executive Institute.
