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
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. The announcement was made during the regular meeting of the City Council on Monday, May 17, 2021.
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.
David Wilson
“I am excited to welcome David Wilson as our next City Manger 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.”
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.
The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. When in public, all community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet. Public Health officials recommend that everyone, even those who are vaccinated, continue to follow health recommendations. All people, regardless of vaccination status, should cover your face when in crowded outdoor areas and must use face coverings in indoor public settings.
West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.
City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirusand the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications. For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.
For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.